The Rightful Sky
by Heir to the Sky
Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi is ordinary. Average. Not at all special in any way. So while having ties to the mafia comes as a surprise to Tsuna, the fact that his younger, more talented, more popular twin brother is chosen as the next Vongola boss doesn't. Not everyone agrees though. After all, what is a world without a proper sky?
1. Opposite Twins

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

* * *

**Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi is ordinary. Average. Not at all special in any way. So while having ties to the mafia comes as a surprise to Tsuna, the fact that his younger, more talented, more popular twin brother is chosen as the next Vongola boss doesn't. Not everyone agrees though. After all, what is a world without a proper sky?**

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Opposite Twins**

Stepping off the plane in the Namimori airport, Reborn ignored the curious stares he received and headed for the address Iemitsu had given him. He had already read the file on Sawada 'Hiko' Takehiko that the Nono had given him – Reborn was fairly certain Iemitsu had had a hand in that too; half the information did nothing but sing praises for the kid – but he believed in gathering intel for himself.

It didn't take long for Reborn to reach the Sawada household, pausing a few times along the way to take note of different places he could later store his extra weapons in. It wouldn't do to be unprepared.

He specifically timed his arrival so that he would be able to observe a full day in Takehiko's life and the sun wasn't very high in the sky by the time he settled on a tree branch outside the house, waiting for his soon-to-be student to come out.

However, it wasn't Takehiko who appeared first. It took Reborn a moment but the slightly longer hair and smaller figure told him that this was the older twin. Not to mention the hunched shoulders and ducked head all but screamed the boy's lack of self-confidence.

The Nono had also given Reborn a file on Sawada 'Tsuna' Tsunayoshi – much thinner and more a summary than actual information – but he would have to keep an eye on the brother all the same. Tsunayoshi was supposed to have bad marks in his studies and was absolutely abysmal at sports, with no charisma and no friends; not at all like his twin, and the Vongola couldn't afford anyone dragging their boss down.

Reborn watched as the boy opened the gate and grabbed the empty trashcans on the curb, dragging them back inside. Just before the gate swung shut behind him though, the boy raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck and dark brown eyes turned in Reborn's direction.

Reborn didn't start but he did raise an eyebrow as the boy scanned his surroundings, gaze sweeping twice over the spot where Reborn was hidden. Interesting. Well, it was only to be expected. Both boys had Vongola Primo's blood running through them. If the weaker twin's intuition was at this level, Reborn was curious about how much stronger his future student would be.

The boy finally turned away, locking the gate again before disappearing back inside the house. It was another half hour before the door opened again and Reborn finally stirred as a boy with short, gravity-defying hair and a confident air to his demeanour strode out, bag over one shoulder and munching on a piece of toast. His brother stumbled out after him, waving at someone – most likely their mother - out of sight before closing the door behind them.

They were close enough for Reborn to pick up their conversation and he frowned when Takehiko rounded on his twin the moment they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"Try not to be an embarrassment today, Dame-Tsuna," Hiko sneered, scorn painting his features as Tsuna shrank into himself. "I know that's rather impossible for you but at least don't let me hear all about how big an idiot you are this time. And remember not to enter the school with me."

And without another word, the boy turned on his heel and walked away. The remaining twin didn't say a word, only waiting for a few minutes before continuing on his way, bag clutched tightly in his hands.

Up in the tree, Reborn frowned. Hiko's attitude was something he was going to have to fix, but more importantly, the younger twin hadn't looked in Reborn's direction at all. Neither boy was trained to be discreet so if his future student had noticed him, surely he would've at least glanced in his direction.

With a small sigh, Reborn jumped down from the tree and headed to the school as well. Maybe Hiko's interactions with other people would be different.

* * *

There it was again; that tingling feeling that made his hair rise. Tsuna twitched a little in his seat but refrained from looking around. He would only get yelled at by the teacher again.

As if reading his mind, Sato-sensei snapped out, "Sawada! Solve the question on the board!"

Tsuna frantically scanned the question as he approached the front. He had studied, going over the material half a dozen times only last night and he faintly recalled needing tangent to find the length but which numbers were he supposed to divide again?

"Don't know again, Sawada?" The teacher released a long-suffering sigh as the rest of the class snickered and Tsuna felt his face redden.

"I suppose it would be too much to ask for you to give me a verbal answer?" Aida-sensei continued dryly as she directed him back to his seat.

Tsuna quickly slipped back into his chair, hunching over his textbook. It wasn't that he couldn't speak, but most of the time, he hadn't really found a need to talk and most people didn't want to hear anything he had to say anyway. Hiko certainly couldn't be bothered to listen to a single word and he had eventually stopped talking altogether, only speaking out loud when his mother wanted him to.

With a tired sigh, he meticulously copied down the question on the board and tried to solve it himself. He had to refer back to the textbook several times and it took him five minutes to get it right but at least his final answer matched the one the teacher put up.

By the time lunch rolled around, Tsuna had struggled through another four questions out of the twelve the teacher had put up and gladly welcomed the break. Grabbing his bento, he slipped away before any bullies could catch him, hastily escaping to the empty rooftop he always ate his lunch at.

It wasn't long before he felt another prickle at the back of his neck as if someone was watching him and he quickly looked around again, worried that his tormentors had found him. But no one appeared and the feeling soon went away and didn't come back, so Tsuna settled down to enjoy his lunch, idling away another hour as he listened to the wind whistling around him and the distant voices of his schoolmates down below.

He had no idea how much his life would change on that fateful day.

* * *

Reborn didn't like his observations.

He had spent the entire day keeping an eye on both his future student and the brother, alternating between their two classes, yet so far, only the older twin had reacted to Reborn's pointed stares. Just in case the boy had somehow taught himself not to respond outright, he had even tried pouring on the killer intent. That had gotten a reaction, resulting in the kid shifting uneasily in his seat, so Reborn was assured that there was no subtlety involved. This wasn't a particularly reassuring thing but Reborn simply made a mental note to work on that aspect with Hiko. It was what he was here for after all.

The rest of the intel in the file had been relatively correct; Hiko was popular, surrounded by his classmates during break and drawing people in left and right with his natural charisma. He certainly had potential to become a good boss. The boy's grades were not as high as Reborn wanted them to be but at least they weren't as bad as Tsuna's, and his superior athletic skills more than made up for them. Hiko was quite good at baseball, soccer, and even basketball. There was no doubt that the kid excelled in sports.

But Reborn also noticed Hiko's irritating habit of boasting. The boy wasn't at all modest, basking in the praise and flaunting his talents every chance he had. It got to be so annoying that Reborn had switched targets for the rest of the lunch period, making his way to the other twin's chosen lunch spot. Tsuna may have been weak and timid, but at the very least, he was also quiet.

Perhaps too quiet. Reborn hadn't seen the kid speak at all. Admittedly, Tsuna really didn't seem to have any friends to talk to, but as far as Reborn had seen, he hadn't said a word to the teachers either.

He noticed the boy shifting nervously when his gaze remained on him so Reborn turned and studied the goings-on of the general student population instead. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the boy relaxing again. So it was only pointed attention that caught the older twin's notice. Reborn temporarily considered testing him with a spike of killer intent as well but decided that that probably wouldn't go over well if he was already reacting to mere looks. Besides, the boy wasn't the one he was here to teach; he should concentrate on Sawada Takehiko instead. The younger twin may have potential but Reborn still had quite a bit of work ahead to shape the boy into an acceptable boss.

* * *

"What's this baby doing in our house?" Hiko demanded as soon as he caught sight of Reborn.

Reborn only stared back, enjoying the confusion he was already stirring up. His gaze slid past his appointed student and met Tsuna's eyes. There was a small crease at the boy's brow and he rubbed his neck like he had multiple times that day. Reborn was reluctantly – but only slightly – Impressed; on some level, to some degree, the kid recognized him.

"Hey, I asked a question!" Hiko said brusquely, glancing back at his brother. "Why do you always have to be so stupid that you can't even answer with a simple yes or no?"

Tsuna ducked his head and shrugged helplessly, which only served to make Hiko scoff.

"You're so Dame," He muttered in disgust, turning back as their mother entered the room. "Kaa-san, what's this baby doing here?"

Sawada Nana tilted her head and smiled kindly down at Reborn. "Oh, are you lost?"

Reborn studied the woman; even judging by her current demeanour, he supposed Iemitsu's rants on his wife did have some truth to them.

"I'm Reborn," He introduced. "The home tutor."

There was a beat of surprised silence and then Hiko burst out laughing. "Oh that's great! Did you hear that, Dame-Tsuna? He's a baby home tutor! He's perfect for someone as pathetic as you!"

Reborn was by no means soft-hearted and he hadn't survived this long in the mafia world without patience but the arrogant brat was getting on even his last nerve, and the fact that Tsuna was flushing with embarrassment and making no attempt to defend himself wasn't doing his tolerance any favours.

But he hid all that away and blinked up at Hiko instead, letting a glint of intimidation enter his eyes. "If he's Tsuna, then that must mean you're Sawada Takehiko."

Hiko immediately drew himself up. "That's right. Heh, even babies know who I am, huh? Well that's only to be expected."

"Then you'll be the one I'll be tutoring," Reborn announced, smirking when the smile slid off his student's face.

"What?" Hiko exclaimed, eyes narrowing with the beginnings of anger. "I don't need a tutor! The only stupid one around here is Dame-Tsuna. You should be tutoring him!"

The boy's hand shot out and grabbed a startled Tsuna by the arm, roughly jerking him forward. "See? He even looks useless; he'll need all the help he can-"

Reborn had honestly heard enough of the brat's drivel, and without further ado, he bypassed Tsuna and landed a none-too-gentle kick against Hiko's head. The kid yelped with pain and toppled backwards, passing out as he thumped to the ground.

Reborn tilted his fedora down to hide a grimace. He had barely used any of his strength; the boy was obviously weaker than he had first thought.

"Oh dear!" Nana spoke up, and Reborn turned in time to see the concern surfacing on the woman's face. "Hiko-kun must be tired today," She glanced at Reborn before smiling warmly at him. "If you'll be teaching him, I can make up the spare bedroom for you."

Reborn marveled at the woman's ability to take things in stride but declined out loud. "That's alright; I can sleep in Hiko's room. As his tutor, I must be with him day and night. Where is his bedroom?"

"Up the stairs; second room on the right," Nana replied promptly before turning to Tsuna. "Tsu-kun, do you mind helping your brother upstairs?"

Oddly enough, Tsuna hadn't moved at all. Reborn had half-expected the boy to run after his display but instead, the kid was staring warily at him, hands wringing nervously even as he nodded an affirmative for his mother.

"Good, I'll get started on dinner then," Nana said cheerfully and bustled away again.

Slowly, scooting carefully around Reborn, Tsuna bent to pick up his younger brother, staggering under the taller boy's weight.

As Reborn silently followed the two up the stairs, he frowned at a sudden realization. For all that Tsuna was wary of him and looked like he wanted to be anywhere but in Reborn's vicinity, there was no fear, not even after the kick that knocked out Hiko.

Well, he smirked, that would soon change.

* * *

Judging by what Hiko had said, Tsuna could talk but, for whatever reason, didn't. However, while Tsuna wouldn't be particularly involved with Vongola, Reborn felt it would be seen as a weakness if the boss' own brother was too scared to talk. He would have to remedy that as well and there was no time like the present.

So, letting Leon change into a gun, Reborn cocked it and pointed it at the suddenly startled-looking boy in front of him. "Talk," He ordered.

Brown eyes flared with alarm and the kid shrank away from him, fear seeping into his eyes at last.

But still, Reborn noted with some annoyance, the boy neither spoke nor released his death grip on his brother. He mentally scoffed. What exactly did Tsuna expect his twin to do when the brat was out cold?

"You can talk, can't you?" Reborn challenged, pulling back the safety on his gun. "I don't care what you say; talk."

Not a word escaped the boy's mouth but he was now scrambling backwards and dragging his twin with him. It took Reborn a split second to realize that Tsuna wasn't waiting for Hiko to protect him; in his own way, the older twin was trying to protect the younger.

"Stop," Reborn said, inwardly irritated. For some reason, a spark of unease prodded the back of his mind. The information he was gathering was beginning to form a picture that he had no desire to comprehend.

In front of him, Tsuna froze but his eyes remained glued on the Leon-gun and his entire body was tensed and prepared to flee. Though apparently not without Hiko.

Reborn mentally sighed. Maybe the boy could talk but had some kind of defect that kept him quiet most of the time. He would pursue this inquiry another day.

"Nevermind," He said out loud, gaze shifting to the younger twin when Hiko finally stirred, groaning in pain. "Stay quiet then."

"You!" Hiko yelled as soon as he woke up, still clutching his head. "Who do you think you are? You can't just kick me for no reason!"

Reborn shot him a flat look. "I'm Reborn, your new home tutor. I'm also the world's greatest hitman. I'm here to train you to become a mafia boss."

The stunned silence that followed gave Reborn the opportunity to observe both twins' reactions. While Hiko's expression quickly became one of disbelief, Tsuna's remained wary, even more than before, and his eyes hadn't once wavered from the gun still held in Reborn's hand.

"Mafia boss?" Hiko repeated derisively. "Are you crazy, kid? Even if you were qualified to teach, why would I want to become a mafia boss?"

Reborn smirked up at the boy. "You don't have a choice. You've been chosen as the Vongola Family's next boss. I'm here to make sure you live up to that name."

Hiko just snorted before jabbing an elbow into Tsuna's side. The older twin instantly cringed, flinching away from his brother. "Dame-Tsuna, get the kid out of here. I don't want to deal with him anymore."

Tsuna didn't move from his spot, only glancing briefly at Hiko before returning his gaze to the Leon-gun.

His meaning was clear but Hiko only scoffed. "You're such a coward, Dame-Tsuna. That thing's only a toy; look." And he reached out to snatch Reborn's gun.

Reborn would've fired a warning shot for that idiotic move if Tsuna hadn't snagged his brother's sleeve, clinging on as his eyes widened fearfully.

Reborn decided to fire anyway and the crack of the bullet sent both brothers shrinking backwards.

"The hell?" Hiko yelped, ducking behind Tsuna and using his brother as a shield. "That thing's real?"

"Of course it's real," Reborn answered, noting the way Tsuna now seemed glued to the floor, making no attempt to stop hiding his twin. "You are both descended from the first boss of the Vongola Family but the Ninth has picked Sawada Takehiko as his successor. That means you, brat."

"Don't call me a brat!" Hiko snapped, peering out around Tsuna. "And I won't have some crazy baby teaching me. Even if I did agree to become a mafia boss, I deserve the best."

Reborn was hard-pressed not to twitch at the sheer arrogance of that statement but pointed his gun at his student instead. The brat cowered behind his brother again but Reborn knew he could still get him if he wanted to.

"I am the best," He said calmly. "And I already told you: you don't have a choice."

He glanced over at the silent thirteen-year-old and jerked his head at the door. "You, leave. I already have some things to start teaching your brother."

Tsuna flinched and he looked like he sorely wanted to flee from the room but he remained in place, if only because Hiko was still clutching onto the back of his shirt.

Reborn's eyes narrowed slightly and he changed targets, levelling his gun on the older twin instead.

"That's right," Hiko piped up. "You can shoot Dame-Tsuna instead. No one would miss him if he died."

Reborn's hand tightened unnoticeably around his gun and his features remained blank, unlike Tsuna's, whose eyes dimmed even further. But the older twin was none of his concern, though he would be sure to beat some respect into his student.

"I might if he doesn't get out," His voice remained neutral as he watched Tsuna flinch again. But still, _still_ the boy didn't move. Either he was secretly very brave or not-so-secretly very stupid.

Or, Reborn's eyes drifted back to the younger twin, he was ridiculously protective of the tactless brat hiding behind him.

It was probably the latter, and if Reborn wanted the boy to leave, simply threatening him wasn't going to work.

"I'm his tutor now," He said bluntly. "Hurting the brat without cause isn't what I'm here for."

That was as close to a reassurance as Reborn was willing to give but judging by the minute relaxation of the kid's shoulders, it seemed to be enough.

Slowly, cautiously, Tsuna rose to his feet, not seeming to hear any of the complaints and whiny commands coming from Hiko. Still without a single sound, he made his way to the door and let himself out.

His eyes never once wavered from Reborn until the door closed behind him.

"What a coward!" Hiko burst out, bringing Reborn's attention firmly back on him.

Reborn smirked, not bothering to hide the evil gleam in his eyes. Time to knock some sense into his student.

* * *

Tsuna couldn't help staring the next morning when his brother came tearing down the stairs in nothing but his boxers, running through the kitchen like the devil himself was after him. Then again, after the bangs and crashes and yelps he had heard yesterday, that might very well be true.

"Tsu-kun, are the eggs finished?"

Tsuna turned back to the stove, flipping the eggs on to four plates. They had an extra mouth to feed now. He nodded at his mother as he dumped the pan into the sink before moving over to set the table.

By the time everyone was seated, Hiko was wearing his school uniform and Reborn was sitting calmly beside him, looking far too innocent for anyone's good.

"Hey, Dame-Tsuna," Hiko glared as Tsuna glanced nervously at his brother. "I saw you staring this morning. If word of it leaks out around school, I won't forgive you. Understand?"

Tsuna nodded hastily and dropped his gaze back onto his plate. The last time Hiko hadn't forgiven him – for spilling water on his shirt – his brother had sent a few of his bigger friends after him. Tsuna already had his own share of bullies to deal with; he didn't need his brother sending more.

"And don't fail another test," Hiko continued with a sneer. "It's embarrassing."

"Hiko-kun," Nana cut in gently. "I'm sure Tsu-kun studied hard."

As per usual, Tsuna didn't say anything even as Hiko snorted. "C'mon, Kaa-san. Even you have to admit Dame-Tsuna's pretty stupid."

His cheeks burned and he felt his heart tighten painfully when their mother failed to reply. He should be used to it by now; their mum usually took Hiko's side. After all, Hiko was a better son, smarter and not a disappointment like Tsuna.

"Well, I'm off," Hiko announced, grabbing an apple on his way to the door. Without waiting for a response, he had left the house, leaving the remaining three people staring after him.

Tsuna glanced at the clock, noting that he would have to run again now that Hiko had decided not to help with the clean-up.

"You don't have to, Tsu-kun," His mother smiled down at him and he didn't really understand the edge of sadness in her expression but it fuelled his desire to help her.

With a shake of his head, Tsuna started gathering up the plates and carrying them over to the sink. He kept a wary eye on Reborn and only reached for the hitman's plate after he had made it clear he was finished. Still, Tsuna found the unwavering stare he received in return uncomfortable. If the baby was here to train Hiko, why hadn't he left with his brother yet?

* * *

Reborn ignored the anxious glances Tsuna sent him every few steps as he walked beside the boy. After yesterday evening, during which Reborn could swear that the brat had done everything humanly possible to aggravate him, he had had enough of Hiko for the moment. He hated the spineless nature of the brat's brother but the silence gave him time to plan the next test he had for his student.

For now though, Reborn could get back to the voiceless boy currently trying to stay as far away from him as possible.

"Why won't you talk?" Reborn enquired, pinning the kid with a sharp look. "As the future boss' brother, being too afraid to speak will make the Family look weak. Coupled with your bad grades and poor athletic scores, you'll drag your brother down even further."

The brunet flinched at Reborn's frank words and kept his eyes glued on the ground.

So trying to insult the boy wouldn't work; not very surprising, all things considered. From what Reborn had seen, only Hiko seemed proud enough to get offended, and at the tiniest things too. That, or Tsuna had such pathetic self-esteem that he believed every word coming out of Reborn's mouth. Probably a little of both.

"Get better," He ordered out loud, voice brooking no arguments. "The Vongola can't be seen as weak. You're useless to the Family if you can't even hold your own."

With that said, Reborn leapt onto a nearby wall and out of sight. He didn't really know why he had decided to try goading the boy. Perhaps it was simple curiosity; Tsuna was so weak-willed compared to his brother but Reborn had also caught a flash of something else in him yesterday when he had refused to leave Hiko's bedroom until Reborn had, somewhat, given the boy his word that he wouldn't hurt his younger twin unnecessarily.

But his main focus was still the brat. Reborn had heard of his infatuation with the school idol, Sasagawa Kyoko, and the rivalry he had with the kendo captain over her. It would be interesting to see what Hiko would do to defend the girl.

* * *

It had been three days since Reborn had arrived and Tsuna had caught glimpses of his brother running through the school in his boxers. This sight had gotten around, and though Tsuna had had nothing to do with it, he still found himself cornered after school and roughed up and bruised by the time the bullies got bored.

Most of the people who picked on him liked to make it a game; who could make Tsuna cry out first, which was another reason he never made a sound anymore. It was meaningless and stupid in the end – he still got hurt – but it was still his own way of defying his tormentors, his own way of standing up to them, and Tsuna wouldn't give that up.

What occupied his thoughts these days were mostly Reborn's words. The demon-in-disguise had made it clear that Tsuna was dragging Hiko down and that was the last thing he wanted. He knew his brother disliked him and treated him badly but that was partly Tsuna's fault for being such a burden. Still, Hiko was his younger brother and he didn't want to let him down, but how could he get better? None of the kids in his class wanted anything to do with him and the teachers had pretty much given him up for a hopeless case.

He supposed he could ask Kurokawa Hana, who was one of the smartest kids in his grade, but she often hung out with Sasagawa Kyoko and Tsuna just knew his brother would get mad at him if he saw him anywhere near the girl. Hiko had a crush on the redhead and had already proclaimed her as his a few months back. Tsuna had frowned at the declaration, the wrongness that came with it sending an uncomfortable chill down his spine, but he had kept silent. It wasn't any of his business and as far as he had seen, Kyoko had managed to dodge out of most of his brother's attempts and Hana had fended off the rest.

Until two days ago. From what he had heard, his brother had challenged Mochida in a fight and had won. He had even caught sight of Reborn shooting Hiko with a bullet – something about Dying Wills and regrets – that made a flame grow on his forehead and most of his clothes disappear. While it did seem to make Hiko stronger, Tsuna was rather glad Reborn was mostly focused on his twin and not him. Hiko defeating Mochida had only served to make his brother stronger, but if Tsuna had done anything of the sort, he would probably be even more alienated than he already was.

A sudden bang made Tsuna jerk and almost topple out of his seat. Twisting around, he shrank back into his desk as he found Hiko's tutor standing in his doorway, gun tilting up his fedora and a dissatisfied look on his face.

"Still nothing, huh?" The baby muttered, eyeing Tsuna in a way that made him want to run. Without any explanation, Reborn fired off three more bullets in his general direction for no apparent reason at all before leaving again, and Tsuna slumped in a mix of relief and dread.

Reborn had taken to trying to surprise a sound out of him lately. Unfortunately for the hitman, Tsuna was used to bullies surprising him, jumping out from alleyways or around corners on his way home all towards their little game. On the other hand, Reborn didn't seem like the type to quit until he had succeeded and he wasn't looking forward to the baby hitman's future attempts.

Even so, Tsuna considered Reborn to be another bully, albeit a very over-the-top gun-wielding demonic one, but a bully nonetheless, and Tsuna had spent most of his life staying silent as other people tried to force even a single word from him. None had ever succeeded. Heck, half the school probably thought he was mute.

But that was just fine. After all, he had no reason to talk when no one wanted to listen.


	2. A Storm Comes to Town

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

**-No pairings planned.**

* * *

**Chapter 2 – A Storm Comes to Town**

"Class, we have a new transfer student today," The teacher announced, and Tsuna glanced to see a teen with grey neck-length hair and sharp green eyes that cut over the class with cold disdain. Tsuna immediately dropped his gaze again. This person was intimidating.

A foot slamming into his desk and sending it skidding to the side made Tsuna jump and tumble out of his seat, cowering backwards as the transfer student towered over him, a dark glower on his face.

"Che," The boy sneered. "Pathetic."

In the background, the teacher yelled, "Gokudera, sit down!"

Tsuna wasn't particularly surprised when the boy, Gokudera, ignored her. Instead, he took a threatening step forward, and Tsuna drew himself as far back as possible, staring wide-eyed up at him. What exactly had he done? He had never laid eyes on this person before!

"I don't care which one you are," Gokudera spat out. "One can't be any better than the other."

And with a last disgusted scowl, Gokudera turned on his heel and dropped into the empty desk behind Tsuna's.

Shakily, Tsuna levered himself up again, hunching his shoulders against the mocking sniggers and whispers around him as the teacher futilely scolded the new student.

Still burning red with humiliation, Tsuna stared determinedly at the textbook in front of him. He didn't dare chance a glance behind him; Gokudera would probably eviscerate him on the spot, but he thought the boy looked foreign. And the only foreigner he knew of since a little over a week ago was his brother's crazy tutor. Gokudera had alluded to him and Hiko being twins so, most likely, the boy was here for his brother.

Tsuna tensed a little at this. He hoped his twin wouldn't get in trouble. Then again, with Reborn on standby, Hiko should be fine.

Still...

He peeked over his shoulder and flinched when he found icy green eyes glaring back at him. Just to be on the safe side, he would find Hiko as soon as he could after school. Tsuna was pretty useless when it came to defending himself much less defending someone else but if things got out of hand, maybe he would be able to direct whatever grudge Gokudera had away from his brother.

* * *

Reborn had to grit his teeth against his growing ire at his student's immediate answer to the young Mafioso in front of him.

He had called Gokudera Hayato over from Italy, pitted the boy against Hiko, shot his idiot student with a Dying Will bullet, and, as he had expected, the fight had ended with Hiko as the victor and promptly gaining Gokudera's respect. What he hadn't predicted and really should have was for the brat to completely ignore his advice and outright reject any and all loyalty offered up by the Hurricane Bomb.

"Are you sure?" Reborn asked sharply. "Gokudera Hayato has the potential to become a suitable Guardian for you. Perhaps even your Right-Hand Man."

Hiko shrugged carelessly, scoffing down at the kneeling figure in front of him. "I can't trust people who have attacked me," Gokudera recoiled subtly at that. "I don't need possible traitors in my Family."

"I will not betray you, Jyuudaime!" Gokudera pleaded, forehead planted on the ground, and even Reborn wanted to wince at the unrelenting scorn on his student's face.

"He would make a good addition," Reborn tried one last time, wanting nothing more than to beat some sense into the boy.

Hiko glanced dismissively at him. "You're only here to advise me, right Reborn? I've already made my decision." One foot scuffed forward, catching a small stone that bounced against Gokudera's hand. "No Family in its right mind would want some stupid bomber like him, especially one that can't be trusted."

Reborn huffed under his breath and made a mental note to torture Hiko with an extra two hours of training tonight. Not only was the boy losing a powerful ally, he had also indirectly insulted Reborn. It was a thousand years too early for this brat to dismiss his advice.

With a last unreadable glance at Gokudera still on the ground, Reborn followed his student out of the schoolyard. Had he been anyone else, he would've perhaps offered a kind word to the boy, but it wasn't his style, and he was too irritated to be nice to anyone at the moment.

* * *

Tsuna hesitated behind a nearby bush, torn between wanting to stay away from the violent Italian and apologizing to his classmate for his brother's harsh words. He had watched the fight from a distance, and in his opinion, Gokudera had done quite well. His brother's success had been partially aided by Reborn, so didn't that mean Hiko had had an advantage over Gokudera? Either way, his brother had been too harsh, and judging by the way Gokudera hadn't so much as shifted from his spot on the ground, it had struck him deeply.

Making up his mind and hoping fervently that he wouldn't come to regret it, Tsuna crept forward, shuffling closer to the prone form. He didn't want to touch the boy just in case Gokudera blew up at him, or worse, blew _him_ up, but he had no idea what to say, any words he could dredge up getting stuck in his throat, so, ready to leap back if Gokudera's hand so much as twitched for his dynamite, Tsuna reached out and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

Gokudera, already rigid either from Hiko's rejection or Tsuna's approach, tensed even further but didn't move away. Tsuna took this as a good sign that he wasn't about to be killed.

He tried to think of something to say, but compared to his brother's earlier insults, anything he could come up with seemed inadequate and would most likely be taken for pity. He instinctively knew Gokudera wouldn't appreciate that anyway.

So, swallowing hard, Tsuna fumbled for his handkerchief and reached out to wipe at the nearest injury, an ugly gash running across the back of Gokudera's left hand. _That_ got a reaction.

"The hell are you doing?" Gokudera snapped, exploding up from his kneeling position and snatching his hand away.

Tsuna dropped the handkerchief and scrambled away, cringing away from the flinty look embedded in Gokudera's eyes. He dropped his gaze to the injury before glancing back up, and then flinched back when Gokudera's mouth curled into a derisive sneer.

"I don't need help from Jyuudaime's clone!" He spat out. "I've heard about you. Dame-Tsuna, isn't it? I hear you don't even talk."

Tsuna kept his eyes focused on the ground he was sitting on, reminding himself that he didn't mind Gokudera's words, that he had heard them hundreds of times before. It didn't matter because he was used to them.

He stilled when Gokudera moved, making to stand but releasing a hiss only a moment later and collapsing back onto hard concrete as his right ankle gave out on him.

Tsuna's gaze flickered up before skittering away again when Gokudera pinned him with a death glare, obviously daring him to say anything.

"Just go away!" He snarled. "Looking at your face makes me sick! You're nowhere near as good as Jyuudaime yet you're actually related to him! You'll be nothing more than a liability to him!"

Reborn had said as much and Tsuna forced back the prickly burning feeling in his eyes at the reminder. He had learned long ago that crying in front of other people didn't help anything; it only made things worse.

Instead, his hand darted out to retrieve the fallen handkerchief and cautiously extended it towards Gokudera again, avoiding the boy's dark glower.

A hand slapped it away. "I don't need it!" Gokudera growled. "Just leave."

Tsuna wavered in place. On one hand, every survival instinct screamed at him to flee while he still had the chance, but on the other hand, he couldn't just leave Gokudera alone when the boy couldn't even stand. He supposed he could try to find the school nurse but he was pretty sure she was already gone and he didn't feel comfortable leaving Gokudera alone. Then again, he wasn't particularly comfortable staying either.

With a nervous glance around, Tsuna settled down for a wait, retrieving the handkerchief from the ground once more as he clutched his bag to his chest. He wasn't sure what he could do for Gokudera but until the boy agreed to at least let Tsuna help him home (and wasn't that a terrifying idea; his classmate would probably try to stick dynamite down his shirt or something), he wouldn't move.

"Are you stupid?" Gokudera barked. "You want me to ask for your help or something? Well you're in for a long wait. I'll never accept help from some weakling."

Tsuna said nothing, fiddling with the strap of his bag and checking his watch. It was four-thirty in the afternoon at the moment so he wouldn't have to be home for another hour or so.

By five-thirty, Gokudera hadn't stopped muttering a string of insults aimed at everything from Tsuna's intelligence to his appearance but Tsuna had relaxed enough to pull out his homework and get started on that with only a wary glance at his volatile classmate every few minutes.

By six-thirty, Tsuna mentally apologized to his mother who would no doubt be worried, but he had no phone – the one he had gotten when he had entered middle school had been stolen in a scuffle with a few upperclassmen two weeks after he had gotten it – so he could only hope Reborn, whom Tsuna was now fairly convinced was psychic and knew everything, would be able to spin one of those creative lies he always made for Hiko to lessen her concern. Gokudera was now doing his utmost best to ignore Tsuna's existence.

By seven-thirty, Tsuna wondered why Hibari, the school's feared leader of the Disciplinary Committee, hadn't come by to bite them both to death, but there wasn't an actual rule that said students couldn't be on school grounds after school hours; just no loitering. Tsuna had a hard time imagining Hibari to actually differentiate between the two and decided that he had probably overlooked their presence because something more important had caught his attention. He and Gokudera were at the edge of school property anyway. In the meantime, Gokudera had turned his back on Tsuna and was still ignoring him.

By eight-thirty, the sunset was casting a red glow over everything and Tsuna flushed when his stomach grumbled a complaint. Gokudera didn't so much as twitch.

By nine-thirty, night had fallen and Tsuna stuffed his work away at last, rubbing at his eyes to get rid of the ache and trying not to think about what his mother had made for dinner.

Just as he was weighing the pros and cons of grabbing Gokudera's attention again, the bomber abruptly twisted around, the last of the fight draining from his frame as his entire body seemed to deflate.

"Are you _seriously_ going to sit here all night?" Gokudera demanded, his expression incredulous. "How dumb can you get? I'm not gonna grovel at your fe-"

Tsuna shook his head fiercely, cutting the bomber off. More than once, his bullies had told him to do just that, forcing him into a begging position as they held his belongings out of his reach, and Tsuna never wanted to hear someone accuse him of doing the same thing.

Perhaps the sudden flare of anger gave him a temporary push but Tsuna forced himself not to think as he surged forward and caught Gokudera's left hand in his own, a small bottle of disinfectant in his other as he tried to clean the gash before his classmate could pull away.

Oddly enough, Gokudera stayed silent and still this time, and Tsuna breathed a sigh of relief as he meticulously cleaned the wound. He had been hurt enough times that he had taken to carrying a small medical kit in his bag and he had become adept at cleaning and bandaging wounds. It was the one good thing that came out of being bullied.

Tsuna spent the next few minutes going over Gokudera's injuries, leaving the ankle for last. His handkerchief was already pretty dirty from staunching the last of the blood from a scrape that had torn through the other's jeans so he stuffed it away and pulled out the last of his bandages. He would have to restock later.

There wasn't much he could do for sprains, a fact he could attest to, but he could at least bind it to keep it steady. As he tied the last knot, Tsuna was aware of the dogged stare Gokudera had pinned him with since Tsuna had started. Unsure of what to do next, he sat back and waited for Gokudera to say something.

"...Now what are you gonna do?"

Tsuna didn't have to look to know Gokudera was already scowling again. Biting his lip, he pushed himself to his feet and gathered up his book bag along with Gokudera's as well. Before he could talk himself out of it, he scooted over to the bomber's side and crouched down again.

And waited.

Tsuna didn't think his face could get any redder but as the next few minutes dragged on, his legs straining from squatting for so long, he thought he was going to pass out from the tension pulsing between them.

And then, miracle of miracles, a rough hand clasped his shoulder, almost making him face-plant on the ground as Gokudera heaved himself to his feet.

"Just so you know," Gokudera growled as Tsuna staggered a little and slipped an awkward arm around the other boy's waist so the bomber could lean on him. "I'm only humouring you 'cause I don't wanna trouble Jyuudaime. If you stay out any longer, he'll have to sacrifice his sleep to come look for you."

Part of Tsuna wanted to point out that he could probably disappear for a week and he would be lucky if Hiko noticed he was missing, but now that Gokudera was actually cooperating, he didn't want to jeopardize the tentative truce between them.

"My apartment's that way," Gokudera muttered, gesturing down one street.

With a dutiful nod, Tsuna started down the road, supporting as much of Gokudera's weight as he could. It was slow going, especially with the bomber's ankle and superior height, but Tsuna couldn't help feeling a thrum of pride at being able to help someone else, no matter how unwelcome his help was.

Gokudera finally halted at a simple-looking complex and abruptly pulled away from Tsuna, half-hopping, half-stumbling towards the door after snatching his bag from Tsuna's loosened grip.

Tsuna remained silent, hovering a few feet behind Gokudera just in case the bomber fell again.

Gokudera pulled out a key and jammed it into the lock but paused before he pushed the door open. An awkward silence descended over them as Tsuna fidgeted on the spot. Why wasn't the bomber moving?

"...Thanks," The word was barely above a whisper and Gokudera was gone before Tsuna could register it, door slamming shut behind his classmate with a loud bang.

Tsuna stared, blinking in disbelief for a long minute before the smallest of smiles spread over his face. With the exception of his mother, no one had ever thanked him before. No one had ever been grateful, and while Gokudera had been reluctant, he knew intuitively that the gratitude had been sincere.

Spinning away from the apartment, Tsuna set off back down the street, not caring that his stomach was rumbling or that his brother would probably pick on him the moment he got home. He had been useful today, had proven that he wasn't a complete waste of space like Hiko always told him he was, and that alone made him happier than he had felt in a long time.

* * *

Reborn managed to slip in through Hiko's bedroom window, firing off a shot for good measure when the brat opened his mouth to complain about the amount of homework Reborn had piled on him that day, and had settled on a couch in the living room by the time the front door swung open.

After Tsuna had failed to return at his usual time – the boy was typically home long before his brother who tended to stay out with friends – and had been curiously absent by the time dinner drew close, Reborn had gone through all the possibilities, settled on the best one, told Nana that Tsuna was busy with something at school, made sure Hiko knew it would be a _very_ bad idea to not be doing the work Reborn had assigned for him when he returned, and then headed back to school again.

Reborn had expected it; hell, he had half-dreaded it because a part of him didn't want it to be true, but he was still surprised when he found Tsuna sitting on the ground a few feet away from Gokudera, puzzling over schoolwork as the bomber berated him and, when that had little effect, ignored him.

Reborn had watched for a few minutes before moving off to cause a minor disturbance at the other end of the school to occupy the Disciplinary Committee for a good long while before returning to the courtyard.

And stayed there watching the sun sink below the horizon with each passing minute, waiting for Tsuna to give up and go home, to realize that someone he barely knew wasn't worth skipping dinner and risking Hibari's wrath and doing homework by the fading light of day for.

And knowing all the while that he was waiting in vain.

At nine-thirty, Reborn watched Gokudera finally relent, a bemused expression painting his features as Tsuna bandaged his injuries before helping him home.

Reborn had had to strain his ears to catch the muttered thanks Gokudera had offered – a wonder in and of itself – but what had caught his attention at that moment was the small genuine smile that dawned on Tsuna's face, lighting up his eyes and erasing some of the shadows that had previously clouded them.

It was the first time Reborn had seen Tsuna smile.

"Ciaossu," Reborn now greeted when brown eyes, guarded and wary like no child's should be zoomed in on him. "You're late."

Tsuna just nodded carefully, closing the door behind him even as his eyes flickered around, straying to the window, the doorway that would lead to the kitchen and the backdoor, and even the narrow space between the couch Reborn was sitting on and the entryway that opened to the stairs.

_For escape routes_, a voice in Reborn's mind supplied helpfully. _A good trait for a Mafioso. A confusing trait for a thirteen-year-old teenager. Most likely reason: bullies. Useful skill for the future Vongola Decimo's brother._

For once, Reborn ignored the voice. "Mamma left your dinner in the microwave," He kept his eyes on the boy as Tsuna drifted towards the kitchen, giving him a wide berth.

Tsuna nodded again, this time in thanks before disappearing from sight. Reborn heard him scamper up the stairs, tripping on the fifth step as always, and it wasn't a far stretch for him to guess that the boy was going to greet his mother and apologize for being late.

It didn't take long for Tsuna to return, and several minutes later, Reborn entered the kitchen to find the boy starting in on his dinner. Hopping up into his seat, Reborn tilted his fedora up and studied the stiff posture and tense shoulders.

Underneath all that fear was a startling amount of sheer stubbornness.

"Aren't you going to eat?" He asked when Tsuna continued staring at him. If the boy wanted him to leave, he was going to have to work for it. Reborn wondered how far he would have to push until Tsuna said something.

For a long moment, Reborn found himself studied closely with anxious fleeting looks. He bore them patiently, curious to see what the teen would do.

Five minutes ticked by before Tsuna finally picked up his chopsticks again and started on his rice.

Hm. Reborn couldn't quite figure out why he was so pleased the kid hadn't run away.

Loud footsteps coming down the stairs broke the peace between them and Reborn cursed mentally at his student's bad timing.

"Hey, Reborn!" Hiko swept into the kitchen, eyes immediately landing on his brother. "I'm finished. What are you doing down here with Dame-Tsuna?"

Reborn ignored the question and snatched the worksheets he had given Hiko earlier. Giving them a cursory glance, he reached up for Leon, letting his partner transform into a gun and cocking it in Hiko's direction.

"You got eighty-two percent," Reborn said, firing off a round off shots that had the brat screeching and jumping on the spot. "Not good enough."

"You said I only had to get eighty percent or better!" Hiko yelled, scooting around the table to crouch behind Tsuna. Reborn's hand tightened around the sheaf of papers.

"I changed my mind," He said coolly, tilting his gun and firing so that the rubber bullet bounced off the opposite wall and hit the back of Hiko's head. "Do the wrong ones again."

Mumbling darkly under his breath and rubbing the back of his head, Hiko grabbed the worksheets back and demanded, "Why do I have to do this? What does math have to do with becoming a mafia boss anyway?"

A dozen reasons instantly popped into Reborn's mind, first and foremost calculating the trajectories of incoming bullets. Out loud, he said sharply, "Figure it out yourself. Now get back to work."

Hiko's face twisted into a glare as the hand holding the papers rose, and Reborn readied his gun. He had seen this a few times before when the brat had lost his temper and decided going against Reborn was a smart idea.

Apparently, Tsuna was also quite proficient at gauging his brother's moods because the older twin hastily stood up, chair scraping back as he reached out and clamped a hand firmly around Hiko's raised arm.

Hiko's head snapped around, staring dubiously at his brother and the cloud of fury cleared enough for the brat to bark out a laugh.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hiko jerked his arm away and sneered at the way Tsuna was barely meeting his eyes. "A loser like you has no say in what I do."

Reborn lowered his gun and wondered if his student knew just what his brother had done as Hiko headed out of the kitchen. While it was obvious Hiko looked down on Tsuna, it seemed Tsuna could redirect and dissipate the brat's anger before it got completely out of hand.

However, Reborn pointed his gun at Tsuna next who leapt back clumsily, eyes wide once more.

"As interesting as I find the fact that you can make your brother focus on something else," Reborn lectured. "He also has to learn to control that temper by himself, and I can't have you interfering every time. Don't do it again."

Tsuna stared back at him, eyes flickering in the direction of the stairs before glancing back and slowly nodding his agreement.

Satisfied, Reborn let his gun dip down, waiting until Tsuna had relaxed, and then fired twice over his head. The teen ducked and scrambled for cover, but terrified brown eyes peered over the table at him in a clear question of _what was that for_.

Reborn smirked and let Leon crawl back onto his fedora. "I felt like it," He said simply, his smirk widening when some of the fear ebbed and Tsuna actually rolled his eyes a little (_sadistic Spartan thinking he can do whatever he wants_).

Well, it looked like Reborn had finally found out just how Tsuna communicated.

* * *

At seven in the morning, Tsuna rushed out of the house, tripping over the front step before righting himself and hurrying onwards. He had decided last night that he would wake up earlier and head over to Gokudera's apartment just in case the bomber needed a shoulder to lean on again. Logically, his classmate would probably shout at him and refuse but Tsuna could follow behind and make sure Gokudera didn't injure himself further.

"_What_ are you doing here?"

As expected, Gokudera met Tsuna with a scowl five minutes after he arrived, eyeing him with no small amount of irritation.

Tsuna half-shrugged and nodded timidly at the bomber's ankle.

Gokudera scoffed loudly as he limped forward. "This is nothing. You wasted your time coming here. Besides, I'm going to Jyuudaime's house."

Tsuna's eyes widened and he hurried to keep up with Gokudera's longer strides, no doubt painful but he was hiding it well.

"I have to protect Jyuudaime," Gokudera explained, probably catching the confused frown on Tsuna's face. "Someone might try to kill him on his way to school. And I'll prove my loyalty to Jyuudaime by protecting him."

Tsuna's first thought was that Hiko didn't, in any way, deserve Gokudera, not after what he had said yesterday. His second thought was that if Gokudera really wanted to become Hiko's Right-Hand or Guardian or whatever else Reborn had said, then it wouldn't do any good for his brother to see Tsuna with Gokudera.

Tsuna would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. Gokudera disliked him and Tsuna couldn't blame him for it but what little time he had managed to spend with the bomber hadn't been all bad. But if it made Gokudera happy to become Hiko's friend, then it was best if Tsuna stayed away, wasn't it? Gokudera's chances would be much better if Tsuna wasn't around.

Resignedly, he followed Gokudera until his house was in sight and he caught a glimpse of his brother through one of the windows before parting ways. If he made it to school early and reached his classroom before any bullies caught up to him, he wouldn't have to hide today.

* * *

Tsuna almost squeaked with alarm when two hands slammed down on his desk, making a few of the papers flutter to the ground.

"Where were you?" Gokudera hissed, looking even more annoyed than he had been this morning. He had avoided eye contact with the bomber when Gokudera stomped in this morning, ignoring the teacher's reprimand per usual and taking his seat behind Tsuna. Now that it was lunch break, Gokudera hadn't wasted anytime confronting him. For what, Tsuna didn't know.

Gokudera released an irritable sigh. "This morning, idiot. Where'd you go?" He clarified, but forged on before Tsuna could blink. "Look, you... helped me yesterday. I don't like being indebted to anyone, especially weaklings like you."

He glared when Tsuna made to shake his head.

"I have to pay you back," He insisted flatly. "So tell me what you want."

Tsuna stared before slowly shaking his head, flinching back when the glare intensified but refusing to give an inch. Behind Gokudera, groups of students were staring openly at them and Tsuna quickly ducked his head.

"Look, just pick something!" Gokudera snapped, looking frustrated. "It's not that hard. What do you want? Food? Money? Everyone wants mon-"

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Tsuna cut the bomber off, this time with a rough shove, and, having not expected it, Gokudera staggered back, wincing as his weight landed on his bad ankle.

Tsuna was shaking too badly to care and there was a strange thrum of heat stirring in his chest, wrapping around his heart as he crammed papers and pencils and textbook into his bag without looking. He didn't notice the shock flooding Gokudera's face when he turned back and said the first words that came to mind, the heat somehow curling around each syllable as they slipped off his tongue.

"I don't want anything," He said clearly, stunning the class into silence. "I was just helping you because I wanted to. I don't want anything from you."

And with that said, Tsuna shoved past Gokudera and scooted from the classroom, running blindly down the halls.

It wasn't fair. The first time he hadn't run, hadn't done something to protect only himself, had done it instead for someone else, and they automatically thought he had another motive. Was it really so hard to believe that Dame-Tsuna could do something right, something good?

He didn't stop until he reached the roof, the empty rooftop no one ever came to because the only bench was old and the fence was getting rusty and the floor was worn and scratched. It was his place because no one ever followed him here. Even the bullies had better things to do during lunch, and there were a few plants that would shield him from sight if anyone stepped through the door.

Gasping for breath, Tsuna collapsed onto the floor, huddling close to the bench so he could lean against it. The weather had taken a turn for the worse and a light drizzle had started. It didn't matter to Tsuna. Rain or shine, Tsuna always came up here. It was the closest he could get to the open sky, the freest he could be without feeling like he was completely restricted.

As the rain came down even harder, flattening his hair, and the distant shrill of the school bell rang to signal the end of lunch, Tsuna remained where he was. Nobody would care where he was anyway.

* * *

To be honest, Hayato had never met a pair of twins as different as Sawada Tsunayoshi and Sawada Takehiko. Granted, he was only fifteen but he had met his fair share of twins from his travels with Shamal and the many people coming and going in his old home.

Jyuudaime was good, good enough to beat Hayato and he had wanted to serve someone that strong, but... whenever he thought of Jyuudaime's words, the cruel words that Hayato had heard from more than one Family (_half-breed, weak, mistrusted, disloyal_) and should be immune to by now, a part of him couldn't help but wonder if a man like that was one he would be willing to follow.

But Jyuudaime was Jyuudaime, Vongola Decimo, and someone like Hayato had no right to question him. Jyuudaime was honourable, kind, strong, respected, compassionate; everything Sawada Takehiko... was?

And everything Sawada Tsunayoshi... wasn't?

Hayato glared irritably at the empty desk in front of him and then switched his glare to the stupid teacher who dismissed the brunet's absence with an indifferent sigh of _Sawada isn't here? Well, no surprise there._

With an aggressive kick that sent his desk sliding forward, Hayato stood up, grabbed his bag, and strode out of class, tuning out the teacher's demands for him to sit back down.

He had seen Jyuudaime's brother turn right so he headed in that general direction, pausing only when he passed the classroom Jyuudaime was in. Through the window, he caught a glimpse of the younger teen's face, looking bored as he scribbled something down in a notebook.

Hayato recalled the times Jyuudaime's brother had been called up to answer a question, and a few of the teachers had always looked suspiciously like they were enjoying picking on the older twin. Yet Jyuudaime's brother had never protested, keeping his head down and returning to his desk with a flush of embarrassment high in his cheeks. Out of boredom, Hayato had taken a peek at the brunet's notebooks and had found all the questions carefully copied out and worked on throughout class, albeit with little success.

With a sigh, Hayato continued on his way, pausing at a stairwell as he remembered where he had followed Jyuudaime's brother yesterday when he hadn't been sure which one was which.

It took him a minute to get up to the roof and he frowned when he realized it was raining. Muttering a curse, he was about to turn away when a brown mop of hair caught his eye and he jerked to a stop.

"How stupid can he-" He cut himself off, tossed his bag onto the ground before dashing out into the rain. Without warning, he hauled the smaller teen up, ignored the instant struggle the brunet put up, and hauled him back inside.

"Are you stupid?" He rounded on Jyuudaime's idiot clone, glowering critically at the shivering teen. "Who the hell sits out in the rain without even an umbrella? Are you trying to get sick?"

Jyuudaime's brother didn't say a word, wiping at the water dotting his face with a wet sleeve. Hayato snorted and grabbed his bag, rifling through it before thrusting his own handkerchief at the shorter teen.

For several seconds, Jyuudaime's brother only stared at it as if Hayato had produced something new and exotic, but just before he opened his mouth to snap at him, the brunet reached out and plucked the cloth from his hand, nodding silently in thanks.

"The hell were you doing out there anyway?" Hayato scowled harder when a flash of concern rushed through him at the thought.

The brunet only shrugged and didn't reply. Apparently, Jyuudaime's brother had used up his quota of words for the week. Or month.

With a huff, Hayato dropped down onto the first step, running his fingers through his wet hair. He didn't complain when Jyuudaime's brother sat down beside him.

"...What's Jyuudaime like?" Hayato refused to glance to the side even as he felt the brunet's gaze on him. "You live with him, don't you? What's he like?"

Half of him was counting on the teen's continued silence; he wasn't completely sure he wanted to hear what Jyuudaime was like, and for a long while, the muffled drum of raindrops was all that permeated the air.

"...He can be nice," The brunet said at last, and Hayato couldn't help looking over at him in disbelief. He really was talking. His voice was softer than Jyuudaime's, less carrying and hoarser, most likely from lack of use.

"He- He can be really helpful, e- especially to Kaa-san," Jyuudaime's brother continued, tripping over his words. "A- And he used to be-"

"I don't care what he used to be or what he can be," Hayato cut off bluntly, his fingers knitting together tightly as he steeled himself. "What is he like right now? What is he like to you?"

He stared directly at the brunet this time but received no response. The teen remained silent, head bowed and misery written in every line of his body.

Hayato's shoulders slumped.

"He mentioned you this morning," He eventually revealed. "Said you were..." He cleared his throat and fumbled for a cigarette instead, making a face when he found them wet. Just thinking about that conversation pissed him off. It had been why he had verbally attacked the smaller twin earlier. If Jyuudaime could say such harsh things, surely his clone would be worse?

"Lazy? Irresponsible? Skipped out on after-breakfast clean-up so he had to do it when it should be Dame-Tsuna's job?"

Hayato stared at the humourless not-quite-smile on the brunet's face. It didn't really match the tired eyes or nervous hands still playing with his handkerchief.

"I- I've heard it all, G- Gokudera-san," The teen seemed to at a loss for words for a moment. "Y- You shouldn't t- take it to heart. H- He's usually j- just like that w- with me."

"That's not a good thing!" Hayato snapped without thinking, and then flushed when the teen glanced over at him, clearly stunned.

Scrubbing a frustrated hand over his face, Hayato tried to explain. "He said a few other things too. They weren't... They weren't the words of a boss."

"H- He's still in t- training," The brunet offered feebly.

Hayato couldn't help the snort that came with this statement but didn't bother elaborating.

The two sat in an almost companionable silence for the next ten minutes. Surprisingly, it was the smaller teen that broke the quiet first.

"H- How is your a- ankle?"

Hayato shot him a sidelong glance, a half-hearted gesture to make sure his question was genuine.

"Fine," He muttered. "I've had worse."

"Th- That doesn't make it f- fine," The brunet objected, barely holding Hayato's gaze as if he was waiting for him to lash out, but there was a certain anxiety there that Hayato really wanted to disperse.

He shrugged, shifting his legs. "I'll _be_ fine," He amended. "It really isn't bad."

The brunet blinked at him, looking for a lie, before dropping his gaze again with a nod.

"...Why don't you talk?" Hayato asked next, a completely different topic but he was honestly curious about it. "I mean talk more. Half the class thinks you're mute and the other half thinks you're stupid."

Hayato winced, regretting the tactlessness of his words when the teen's shoulders drooped.

"No point," The brunet shrugged. "N- No one cares what D- Dame-Tsuna has t- to say."

"You're talking now," Hayato felt he had to point this out. His jaw almost hung open when he was rewarded with a small shy smile that made the brunet's entire expression light up.

"Y- You care a- about what I h- have to say," He explained, and then recoiled a little as if he thought he had crossed some sort of line. "I- I mean, y- you listen even though I- I don't have m- much to s- say."

Hayato just stared at him, eyes sharpening to take in the wringing hands that said he was nervous, the continuous flicker of his eyes to Hayato's ankle that said he was still worried, and the red tint highlighting his cheeks that said he was embarrassed about blurting out something like that.

And Hayato wanted to know where Sawada Tsunayoshi had learned how to talk without words. Surely Jyuudaime, _Takehiko_, didn't treat his own brother like he had this morning all the time? But the younger twin had already proven his ability to be cruel. It hadn't only been Jyuudaime's brother, _Tsunayoshi_, that he had belittled. Takehiko had also brought up every one of Hayato's faults and thrown them in his face once more, refusing Hayato's pledge of loyalty with contempt.

And Tsunayoshi didn't really have friends as far as Hayato had seen.

Calmer now than before, he thought back to yesterday, to the long hours Tsuna had spent waiting until Hayato had relented and allowed the brunet to take care of him. He thought back to this morning, when Tsuna had rushed over to his apartment just to see if he would need help, and then disappearing before his brother had seen him, no doubt to give Hayato a better chance at getting back into Takehiko's good graces.

And since when had Hayato been someone who groveled at the feet of someone else to get back into their good graces? Takehiko had beaten him in a fight, but did that really mean he was the right person to follow?

His mind cast back to the beginning of the lunch break. The surprising amount of anger resulting from Hayato's rash words, the sincerity in Tsuna's own assertions, and finally, the unmistakeable flash of burnished orange that had replaced the usual brown in his eyes, clear and bright as sky flames when Tsuna's newfound – hidden? – resolve clashed with Hayato's own and beat it down with unrelenting conviction, all in the span of a handful of seconds.

Not to mention Tsuna had _talked_. Judging by the whispers (_'Dame-Tsuna can talk? I thought he was mute.' 'No way; he's just stupid most of the time.'_) that had followed after his departure, Tsuna didn't talk much, at least not to people he didn't know well, which amounted to most of the world's population, but he had spoken to Hayato. Was speaking to him now.

Thinking of all that, Hayato could only wonder if Vongola, Nono, and even Reborn had made a mistake.

"A- Are you alright, G- Gokudera-san?"

Hayato turned, studying the pensive face with new eyes. "Why did you stay with me yesterday?" He asked bluntly.

Tsuna looked taken aback. "B- Because you were hurt," He mumbled, looking slightly bewildered as if he didn't understand why Hayato had asked that question. "A- And because Hiko sh- shouldn't have s- said those things t- to you. A- And..."

He trailed off awkwardly, fingers tightening around the crumpled handkerchief before finishing determinedly, "And because you looked lonely."

Hayato scoffed. "You mean pathetic, crouching on the ground like that."

Tsuna shook his head, vehement enough to catch Hayato's attention again. "N- No. You didn't. I- I know what loneliness looks like."

The brunet glanced away, turning red again but not taking his words back.

"Are you stupid?" Hayato grumbled, quashing the flutter of warmth in his chest. "What does it matter anyway?"

"Of course it matters!" Tsuna exclaimed, and then flushed even harder at his outburst. "I- I mean, Hiko d- doesn't think before he says something, a- and he sometimes hurts other p- people because of that. N- None of it was true anyway."

Hayato had stopped breathing at this point, inexplicably drawn to the brunet's words. "...Wasn't it?" He prompted quietly.

Tsuna frowned. "Of course not. H- How would Hiko know whether y- you're trustworthy or n- not? H- He doesn't even kn- know you."

Hayato's eyes closed and he dropped his head forward, releasing a deep sigh as he felt the last of his anger drain away. His head shot up again when Tsuna started panicking.

"W- Wait, I- I didn't m- mean t- to offend y- you or a- anything! A- Are you m- mad? I- I didn't mean t- to-"

"I'm not mad," Hayato interrupted. "Just- I just realized something, that's all."

Tsuna's head tilted inquisitively and Hayato rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't used to apologizing but it came surprisingly easily now.

"I apologize for calling you his clone yesterday," Hayato twisted around and bowed his head for good measure. "And all the other things I said. And I didn't mean to imply that you wanted anything in return for it."

Hayato glanced up and quirked a slight smile as Tsuna flailed helplessly, trying to tell him he had no need to apologize.

"Y- You shouldn't-" Tsuna swallowed hard before murmuring despondently, "I- I heard you want to b- become Hiko's Right-Hand. Y- You shouldn't really t- talk to me i- if you want that."

The last Hayato's doubts left and he dismissed Sawada Takehiko from his thoughts. Mouth set in a grim line, he rose to his feet, descended a few steps, and then turned and bowed to a completely dumbfounded Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"No," He said firmly. "I apologize. And Jyuudaime- your brother; he's not someone I want to follow for the rest of my life." He paused before admitting, "If you would be willing, I would like to stay by your side."

Hayato caught a glimpse of the shock on Tsuna's face before the younger teen was waving his arms frantically.

"N- No!" Tsuna protested, and Hayato felt his heart plummet until he heard his next words. "I- I'm not going to be a mafia boss! Y- You won't be able to become a- a Guardian or-"

"That's fine," Hayato said resolutely, and, to his amazement, found this to be completely true. "You'll still be connected to the mafia so you'll be in danger. I'll protect you. I'll be your bodyguard."

The silence that ensued was one of the longest Hayato had ever had to endure and he waited with bated breath to see what Tsuna would say.

"I- I don't want a bodyguard," Tsuna finally said, but before Hayato could feel more than the beginnings of crushing disappointment, he forged on.

"But I- I'd like a friend."

Hayato's head shot up and he found himself staring into uncertain brown eyes, fearful of rejection and uncertain of acceptance.

How many times had Hayato looked into a mirror and seen the exact same thing?

_I know what loneliness looks like._

They both did, didn't they?

"I'd be honoured, Tsunayoshi-sama," Hayato couldn't help grinning, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders.

Tsuna's mouth dropped open, surprised and delighted and just a little afraid all at once. And then he shook his head, one of those rare genuine smiles tilting his mouth. "Y- You can just c- call me Tsuna."

"Tsuna-sama then," Hayato said stoutly, ignoring Tsuna's protests as he extended a hand to help him up.

He didn't think he would be as happy as he was when Tsuna's smile grew and a hand reached out to take his.

* * *

Reborn had seen the altercation between Tsuna and Gokudera, too far away to hear, after the harsh words his student had branded the bomber with. He had made sure to scold Hiko and kick him a couple times for good measure but it wouldn't do any good if the brat himself didn't step down from his pedestal.

Following Tsuna up to the roof without being seen wasn't hard; the boy was too upset to notice much around him. When it started raining, Reborn waited for the teen to move back inside and when that didn't happen, he had planned to ask Leon to transform into an umbrella so Reborn could whack the idiot over the head with it. Both twins were infuriatingly hard to deal with in their own right.

But then Gokudera had arrived, a brief spasm of horror crossing the bomber's features when he had caught sight of Tsuna, and Reborn hadn't had to do anything after all when Gokudera took the initiative and dragged the brunet back inside.

When both students failed to reappear in the school hallways, Reborn considered sending in one of his beetles to listen in on their conversation but decided against it. Tsuna wasn't his responsibility, and with what Hiko had said this morning, it would be a long while before his student would consider taking Gokudera on as a subordinate, if ever.

Besides, Hiko had fallen asleep in class again. Reborn didn't mind being the one who woke him up.

* * *

As Hayato soon found out in the next few days, while Tsuna could talk and Hayato had done his best to assure him that anything he had to say would be welcomed, the smaller teen was either so used to staying silent or simply _preferred_ staying silent that he didn't talk much at all.

That was okay, Hayato had decided. He could understand his friend (and boss, though that was something he kept to himself) well enough. For someone who never said anything out loud, Tsuna could actually convey a lot.

Another thing Hayato had discovered was the large number of bastards who came after Tsuna, for his lunch or his belongings or just to hurt him for no reason at all. It didn't take long for Hayato to convince them that this was a very bad idea. Tsuna didn't condone violence though so Hayato had grudgingly aimed his dynamite around the bullies to scare them off instead of blowing them up on the spot (which would've made him much happier but it would've made Tsuna sad, so he refrained).

At the moment, over a week after the rooftop incident, Hayato had his schoolbooks under one arm and was hurrying over to Tsuna's house. The brunet had tentatively asked for help in his studies and Hayato had jumped at the chance. They had agreed to meet up at Tsuna's house on Sunday since there was more room there. The only downside was Tsuna's twin but Hayato had assured Tsuna that he wouldn't let anything the brat said get to him.

Fortunately, when Hayato rang the doorbell, it was Tsuna's mother who answered, and she waved him in with a warm smile almost before he had said hello.

"Tsu-kun said he had invited a friend over today," The woman told him happily. "I'm so glad he's finally socializing a bit more, even if he doesn't like talking."

"Tsuna-sama doesn't have to say a word ever again and I'd still stay by his side," Hayato pledged staunchly. He didn't quite understand the sudden overwhelming gratitude that flashed across her features for a split second.

Unfortunately, before either of them could say anything more, Tsuna's twin appeared, Reborn not too far away.

"Back again?" Hiko sneered, and Hayato eyed him irritably. Now that he had accepted the fact that Tsuna's brother wasn't worth following, the brat was annoying at best.

"Your begging is so pathetic," Hiko continued. "I'm not accepting you into my Family and that's that, now leave."

Hayato snorted. "I'm not here for you, clone," He snapped, unrepentantly satisfied when Hiko gaped at him. "Where's Tsuna-sama?"

Hiko was openly gawking at him. "'Tsuna-sama'? Dame-Tsuna? Why would you want to have anything to do with him?"

Hayato twitched at the tone of disbelief but before he could retort, steps on the stairs made them all turn and watch as Tsuna stumbled into the living room, expression brightening when he caught sight of Hayato.

For his part, Hayato couldn't help smiling at the genuinely pleased look on his boss' face. Tsuna always seemed thrilled whenever Hayato spoke to him or walked him home and he felt a little guilty for being so happy because of this, but it meant Tsuna valued him, and Hayato had never had that before.

"Good morning, Tsuna-sama!" He greeted now, moving over to his side. "Ready to get started?"

He grinned at the decidedly sulky look his boss sent him when he waved a math text in front of him and promised, "Don't worry, Tsuna-sama. You'll be an expert in math by the end of the day!"

Tsuna sent him a wry look (_I don't think that's possible_) but, nevertheless, humoured him with a nod.

"Tsu-kun, I'll call you both down when lunch is ready," Tsuna's mother called, and Tsuna nodded again while Hayato thanked her for the trouble.

"Wait, you're hanging out with Dame-Tsuna now?" Hiko demanded when she had bustled back into the kitchen. "Why would you do something like that? You think you can worm your way into my Family that way?"

Hayato growled and automatically went for his dynamite. "Tsuna-sama is a thousand times better than you," He said coolly. "I don't want any part in your Family. I'm here as Tsuna-sama's friend."

The floored expression on Hiko's face was priceless; the glowing smile on Tsuna's face was even better.

"Well," Hiko recovered, plastering a look of derision on his face as he glanced between Hayato and Tsuna. "I suppose it suits you. Dame-Tsuna's level is all you'll amount to."

Tsuna flushed but Hayato tilted his chin up, keeping his gaze steady as he confirmed, "Yes, I serve the best. Tsuna-sama is the _very best_."

And with that said, he marched past the younger twin and joined Tsuna by the stairs. "Shall we, Tsuna-sama?"

Tsuna didn't smile a lot. As they ascended the stairs, his boss' mouth curved upwards all the while, Hayato realized he had subconsciously made it one of his lifelong goals to see as many of them as he could.

* * *

"Che, how pathetic," Hiko scoffed as he threw himself down onto the couch. "Settling for Dame-Tsuna because he can't serve me."

Reborn tilted his fedora down, hiding a tired sigh. Did the brat really have no idea what he had just lost? Reborn had never seen that proud resolve in Gokudera Hayato until a few minutes ago. The bomber would never be a Guardian or the boss' chosen Right-Hand but Reborn knew tenacity when he saw it. Even if Hiko changed his mind and offered both positions to the bomber, Hayato would never accept it. He had chosen Tsuna and nothing would sway him now that his loyalty to the older twin had cemented.

And the worst part in all this was that Reborn couldn't blame the bomber. He had no idea how two siblings could turn out so differently but Hiko had almost none of the innate kindness Tsuna had. His student would've been smug at befriending Hayato if their positions were switched and Tsuna had been the one to reject the bomber, but Tsuna had only been quietly pleased at Hayato's mere presence.

With an audible sigh this time, Reborn pointed a gun at Hiko and ordered, "Did I say you could rest? Time for training. Twenty laps around Namimori Middle. Hurry up."

As Hiko ran out the door, covering his head from the gunfire, Reborn couldn't help thinking what it would've been like if Iemitsu had suggested his eldest as the next Vongola boss instead.


	3. When the Rain Threatens to Fall

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

**-No yaoi. No pairings planned either.**

* * *

**Chapter 3 – When the Rain Threatens to Fall**

Reborn burst into the bedroom and began firing. One would normally assume that there was some sort of danger.

There wasn't.

Smirking, Reborn watched as arms flailed and a terrified yelp was heard as the newly-woken teen fell out of bed. There weren't any words but at least there was sound.

Ever since he had overheard the unfamiliar muffled voice responding to the Hurricane Bomb during one of the afterschool study sessions, Reborn had redoubled his efforts to make Tsuna talk in front of him. Somehow, the teen always managed to sense when he was nearby, or at least close enough to hear him, and he would clam up. Reborn had the odd feeling that Tsuna was now actually not speaking _because_ Reborn wanted him to.

It was too bad Reborn always got his way in the end.

Brown eyes, no longer as wary or frightened as when Reborn had first arrived, peered back at him blearily, still half-asleep. Apparently, being woken up and disturbed by bullets and other assorted weapons on a daily basis lost its incentive after the first few days. Reborn couldn't decide whether or not to be pleased by this.

"Time to get up," Reborn informed him cheerfully. "Gokudera's already waiting for you outside."

A resigned sigh answered him. Reborn knew Tsuna didn't like the fact that the bomber always got up early just to keep Hiko from him and accompany him to school but Reborn partially approved. Tsuna would probably have to have his own set of bodyguards one day, even if he stayed as a civilian, and Gokudera was getting in good practice. On the other hand, Reborn wanted Tsuna to learn how to stand up to his twin sooner or later. Having the bomber cut in every time, either with a verbal threat or a stick of dynamite, wasn't helping matters. Reborn didn't want to turn the twins against each other – that would be terrible for the future of the Family – but Tsuna couldn't let his brother walk all over him either, if only because Reborn hated seeing it.

Fifteen minutes later, Hiko was in the bathroom, Nana was frying eggs and bacon, Hayato was setting the table, and Reborn was watching Tsuna stand around looking a little lost again. Ever since Hayato's addition to their morning routine, Tsuna had found himself without a job since Nana had insisted on cooking for all of them.

"Tsuna, come here," Reborn ordered as he hopped up onto the counter and nudged out the coffee machine. He knew Iemitsu drank coffee, but since the man came home once a year at most, it had been collecting dust until Reborn took it out again. "I'm going to teach you how to make coffee."

Tsuna came over willingly enough, no longer flinching from Reborn every time they came within a few feet of each other, though he didn't look particularly keen either as he kept a watchful eye on the hitman. He tilted his head questioningly, frowning at the machine.

"You want something to do, don't you?" Reborn asked rhetorically as he pulled out different bags of coffee beans. Without further ado, he started a lecture on the different types of coffee one could make and hid a smile when Tsuna rushed out of the kitchen a few minutes in, hurrying back with a notebook in hand and scribbling down Reborn's words as quickly as he could.

"Too mild," Reborn shook his head after a cursory glance at the cup Tsuna produced. It was the teen's sixth attempt at making a café mélange after Reborn had gone over the process. "Do it again."

Tsuna's brow furrowed further, scanning his notes as he dumped out the pot and started again.

Maybe it was because Tsuna refused to talk in front of Reborn or because he had seen what would happen if he defied him but the hitman hadn't heard a word of complaint from the teen no matter how many times Reborn had told him to start over, refusing to give him even a hint.

Over at the dinner table, Gokudera seemed torn between wanting to help and staying silently watchful, the latter winning out after Reborn had shot him a warning look. Nana was observing them as well, a contented smile on her face as Tsuna worked with what Reborn had given him.

Hiko was also watching, having shut up after Reborn had fired a few shots in his direction and was now eyeing his brother resentfully.

Reborn glanced down at the liquid when a seventh cup was handed to him. The colour looked the closest so far and he took a cautious sip, mindful of the anxious eyes watching him.

Drawing out the silence just to watch Tsuna squirm, Reborn finally nodded once. "Far from perfect, but acceptable. Go eat your breakfast."

Hiding his surprise when Tsuna beamed at him for the meagre compliment, Reborn took another sip as Gokudera jumped up and declared his desire to taste Tsuna's coffee as well, with Nana agreeing enthusiastically even though she usually stuck with tea.

Hiko wrinkled his nose when Tsuna glanced hesitantly at him. "No way," He objected. "I'm not going to risk getting sick over something Dame-Tsuna made."

Gokudera was instantly on his feet, leaning forward and glowering at the younger twin across the table. "Appreciate Tsuna-sama's hard work, you little brat!" He barked. "It's coffee, not poison."

Reborn had heard Gokudera call his student a lot worse but the bomber always seemed to be able to curb his language around Nana, not to mention, through some miracle, keep his dynamite out of sight. In all honesty, Reborn couldn't see that lasting.

Hiko had no compunctions. "It might as well be poison," He retorted. "It was made by _Dame-Tsuna_."

Gokudera looked ready to vault over the table to strangle the younger twin so Reborn quickly cut in before things could get out of hand.

"Ow!" Hiko yelled when Reborn kicked him in the head and knocked him out of his chair. "What was that for?"

"I felt like it," Reborn said simply, taking his designated seat beside Hiko's. "Now eat, or you'll all be bitten to death."

Tsuna paled and hastily sat down, pausing only to nod at his mother when she complimented his coffee. Beside him, still scowling, Gokudera took a seat again and dug in, proclaiming his new love for coffee and his aspiration to make as good a beverage as Tsuna could.

Tsuna still looked apprehensive and didn't smile this time, but his eyes shone as he nodded his thanks and he sat just a little bit straighter.

* * *

"Better, Sawada," The teacher said with mild surprise as she handed back the most recent test.

Tsuna barely heard the whispers around him as he stared wide-eyed at the sixty at the top of the page. It was the first time he had ever gotten above fifty-five percent in anything, much less math, which was his weakest subject.

Twisting around, he answered Gokudera's grin and thumbs-up with a smile of his own.

"Thanks," He said quietly, and then blinked, not understanding why Gokudera suddenly looked even more pleased.

With a shrug, he tucked the test away, making a mental note to show his mother later. The mark wasn't high but it was the best he had ever done and he hoped it would make his mother happy.

* * *

"Reborn, are you training my brother or me?" Hiko demanded as he exited his classroom after school, annoyed that his tutor was hauling him off somewhere before he could get a chance to talk to Kyoko. The girl was playing hard to get. Why couldn't she be in his class instead of Dame-Tsuna's anyway?

Reborn barely glanced at him. "Do you think I'm getting you to run laps and gather Family members for fun?" The hitman countered.

Hiko scowled at the baby. "Then what was with teaching Dame-Tsuna this morning?"

Reborn's features didn't change and his voice was as blank as usual but Hiko caught the condescendence anyway. "I taught him how to make coffee," The hitman said blandly. "Not something a boss absolutely needs to know. Do you want to learn?"

"Of course not!" Hiko shot back. "What do I care about making coffee? I just want to know why you're wasting time on Dame-Tsuna."

Reborn stopped and turned to face him, that cold glint Hiko was afraid of entering his eyes. Hiko towered over Reborn but whenever the hitman looked at him like that, he couldn't help the shiver of fear that ran up his spine.

"I've been wondering about this for a long while," Reborn stated evenly. "I wasn't going to ask since there was a chance it would resolve itself eventually, but I can see now that it'll only continue like this and become detrimental for the Family. So I'm asking now; why do you dislike your brother so much?"

Hiko instantly scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? He's Dame-Tsuna."

"He's your brother," Reborn pointed out.

"He's pathetic," Hiko snapped. "Always cowering everywhere. People pick on him since he's so stupid-"

"Why don't you help him then?"

Hiko sneered. "Why should I? He's my _older_ brother. Not much of one, but he should help me."

Reborn didn't so much as twitch but Hiko knew he had displeased the hitman again. A rush of anger welled up inside him.

"Why do you like Dame-Tsuna so much anyway?" He spat out sullenly. Nobody was fond of Dame-Tsuna but _his_ tutor had clearly taken a liking to his twin, and the bomber who had wanted to become his Right-Hand Man had become his brother's friend. Not that he would've taken Gokudera into his Family, but still.

Reborn only gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look before turning away, not bothering to respond.

Gritting his teeth, Hiko followed, promising that when he became Vongola Decimo, he would make sure Reborn stayed as far away from Vongola as possible. The baby might be the strongest hitman in the world but he was still only one person. Hiko didn't need him, and besides, the hitman had mentioned something about a temporary contract with the Ninth and doing him a favour. Reborn wasn't a proper member of the Vongola Family so he would have no reason to stay.

* * *

_Nono,_

_Training underway. Progress slow._

Reborn paused, pen tapping idly against the sheet of paper. A part of him wanted to question the Ninth for his decision to make Takehiko his heir but it wasn't Reborn's place to do so, no matter how much he wanted to. Still, maybe he could...

_Brother seems interesting. Equal potential._

Reborn scanned the five words and then tore the letter apart and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. No doubt, the Ninth would let Iemitsu read it and he remembered the CEDEF leader's adamant stance on his eldest. To the blond, Tsuna was too weak to become a mafia boss and wouldn't amount to much more than a barely average civilian in the end. Oh, Iemitsu ranted about the boy like he did Hiko, but only that he was cute and shy. Nothing substantial like Hiko's athleticism and popularity and a whole bunch of other things Reborn had tuned out after the first five seconds.

In Reborn's opinion, Iemitsu didn't know anything about Tsuna. He probably wouldn't know much about Hiko either if it weren't for his wife's letters. And while Nana loved both her sons deeply, it was clear that she had little belief in her eldest succeeding in life. More than once, Reborn had sat through a meal, listening to Hiko taunting his brother about his latest failure, listening to Nana gently admonishing his son for being rude (_rude, not offensive, abusive, cruel, completely wrong_), and wondering why Tsuna just took it.

Well, Reborn had a pretty good idea why. It was the same reason Tsuna never talked. He was used to it.

Reborn was no family man, far from it, but even he knew the Sawada household would fall apart at the rate it was going.

But Iemitsu had also made it clear that Tsuna was unsuitable to be a candidate and the Ninth had even cautioned Reborn to keep the older twin out of most Vongola matters. The boy could be informed, but not in depth. Reborn had his orders. He couldn't put Tsuna in direct danger.

But how that stupid airhead could look at his son, really look, and not see the potential in the boy was beyond Reborn.

Then again, perhaps that was the problem. The last time Iemitsu had come home had been two and a half years ago, and that was only for a few days. Reborn had heard from Nana that Tsuna had almost completely stopped talking by the time he had turned seven. Knowing that and what Reborn had seen of Tsuna's nature, Iemitsu would not have known what to do with someone as reticent as his eldest, and Tsuna would've been free to melt into the background and do what he did best: disappear. The boy did it enough times hiding from bullies. It didn't always work, and now that Gokudera was there to scare off anyone stupid enough to confront the brunet, bullies weren't much of a problem anymore, but even Reborn was impressed with how well Tsuna knew all the shortcuts in the neighborhood.

With a sigh, Reborn wrote another letter.

_Nono,_

_Training underway. Progress slow. Otherwise fine._

_Reborn_

He didn't particularly like this version either but it was the closest to the truth. Reborn would just have to work harder with Hiko. The brat could still change.

* * *

Furious couldn't begin to describe Reborn's mood as the hitman fumed silently from his perch on the kitchen counter. Not even the coffee he was drinking could calm him down. He kept a lid on his anger of course; he would've sent the other occupants of the house running. But even Nana seemed to sense his ire because she made no attempt to talk to him as she cooked dinner, not humming like she usually did.

His idiot student had botched another attempt to gather a Guardian. Yamamoto Takeshi was a natural-born hitman. Reborn had been pleasantly surprised at the rare find and had wasted no time prompting Hiko in his direction. With the teen's easygoing nature and friendly countenance, Reborn had thought, mistakenly, that not even the spoiled brat could fail.

His hand clenched around the brim of his fedora as he stamped down the urge to shoot something. Or someone. His student hadn't just failed; the boy had been completely heartless when Yamamoto had mentioned his recent downhill slide in baseball.

_"No matter how much I practice, my average has been dropping and I just can't seem to get out of my slump. You were great today. Do- Do you know what I'm doing wrong?"_

_"I saw how bad you were, and it wasn't just today. It doesn't look like you're cut out for baseball. You should just quit."  
_

_"Baseball's all I have; it's my life. I- I can't just-"_

_"If it's your life, then you don't have much of one, do you? With your skill, all you'll amount to is a failure."_

Reborn was anything but soft-hearted, yet even he had felt sympathetic for the black-haired teen after his student's careless words. The lost, pained look on Yamamoto's face after Hiko had walked away had been enough for Reborn to wish he hadn't let the brat anywhere near the baseball player. Now he could only hope Yamamoto wouldn't take Hiko's words to heart.

The sound of the front door opening made Reborn look up, and a moment later, Tsuna appeared in the doorway, nodding at his mother when she called out a greeting.

A split second later, the teen's features had frozen and his eyes had darted over to Reborn, pensive and wary as he took a step back.

Reborn eyed the boy carefully. Had Tsuna sensed Reborn's anger? The brunet hadn't reacted so defensively against him for a good week now.

Instead of fleeing the kitchen though, Tsuna entered, steps cautious and ready to leap back if Reborn gave any sign of attacking. Still keeping half his attention on the hitman, the brunet dug through his bag and withdrew a sheet of paper, holding it out to his mother.

Nana blinked at it and Reborn tilted his head far enough to recognize the math test. The sixty stood out in stark red ink but Reborn knew it was the highest mark Tsuna had ever gotten.

"Oh Tsu-kun, this is great!" Nana beamed, enveloping her son in a hug. Reborn mentally frowned at the way Tsuna stiffened momentarily before relaxing against his mother. "I'm so proud of you!"

A half-smile made its way onto Tsuna's face but it instantly disappeared when footsteps thumped down the stairs and Hiko appeared in the kitchen.

"There you are," The younger twin looked annoyed. "Where have you been? Out with Gokudera again? Kaa-san had to start dinner by herself."

Tsuna flinched but Nana was quick to jump in. "Now Hiko-kun, Tsu-kun already told me he would be late today, and I don't mind. It isn't often he goes out with friends."

Hiko scoffed. "That's because he doesn't have any." His eyes landed on the piece of paper still clutched in Tsuna's hand. "What's that?"

Before Tsuna could react, Hiko had snatched it away, eyes landing on the sixty as a smirk grew on his face.

"Did you show this to Kaa-san 'cause you're proud?" He sneered. "Only you would be proud of being a failure."

Nana was frowning at her youngest. "Hiko-kun, don't be rude. Tsu-kun tried his hardest."

Hiko opened his mouth again but Reborn didn't give him a chance. The shot that rang out in the kitchen made the tension skyrocket.

"That's enough," Reborn stood up, his voice flat and cold as he pinned his student with a hard look. "Return that and get back to work. _Now_."

Not even Hiko dared disobey, and after tossing the test down at Tsuna's feet, he escaped the kitchen, speeding back upstairs as fast as he could.

For a long moment, the sizzling pot on the stove and the ticking of the kitchen clock were the only sounds that permeated the air. Nana stood beside Tsuna, for once looking uncertain as to what she should do next.

Reborn only gave her a cursory glance before focusing on the brunet. The boy's bangs shadowed his eyes as he stood stock-still in the middle of the room, head bowed as his gaze stayed glued on the test at his feet.

"Tsuna," Reborn waited patiently for the teen to look up. It took several seconds but the boy finally raised his head, brown eyes dull as he stared back at Reborn.

Reborn gestured at the test with his gun. "Are you satisfied with that mark?"

_Say no_, he urged silently.

As if he had heard, Tsuna glanced down once before meeting Reborn's eyes again and slowly shaking his head.

Reborn nodded, satisfied. "It may be the best mark you've ever had but there's still a lot of room for improvement. Go over everything you got wrong and do them again," He cocked his gun pointedly. "I'm checking it tonight."

Surprise crept into Tsuna's expression, followed by a desperate sort of hope that made Reborn want to fly back to Italy and put a few holes in a certain blond, but before he could study it any further, Tsuna nodded anxiously, scooped up his test, and scampered out of the kitchen.

An uncomfortable silence descended as soon as the brunet left. Reborn paid it no mind, letting Leon crawl back onto his fedora.

"Thank you, Reborn-chan," Nana's voice made Reborn look her way, noting the mild sorrow clouding her features.

Reborn released a short sigh and shrugged, tilting his fedora down. "I'm Hiko's home tutor. It's my job to keep him in line."

Neither of them pointed out the fact that it hadn't been Hiko Reborn had cut in for.

* * *

"Twenty-one, thirty, thirty-two, and forty are still wrong," Reborn fired a shot for every wrong question, making Tsuna duck and scramble for cover as the bullets whizzed past his head. "Do them again."

With a frustrated grimace, Tsuna clambered back into his chair, pulling over his textbook to look at the examples again. They had been at this for three hours now but Reborn had refused to relent until every question had been corrected.

With a sigh, he started on twenty-one again. These four had been giving him particular trouble all night.

"Tsuna," Reborn interrupted, frowning at him from where he was sitting cross-legged. "Don't just use the textbook and memorize the method. Use your brain and apply what you know. You've finally got the basics down now. These four shouldn't give you so much trouble."

Obediently, Tsuna gave the text a last glance before pushing it away, studying the question instead. Recalling all the different calculations Reborn had forced him through at gunpoint, he carefully went over the problem again.

Half an hour and another five wrong tries later, Tsuna finally sat back, a tired but triumphant smile on his face as Reborn put away his gun, granting him a tiny smile of approval.

"But," Tsuna stiffened as Reborn tapped the test. "This is only one test and it took you far too long to finish it. You understand the concepts now; work on doing them faster."

Tsuna nodded but couldn't hold back a yawn. Reborn waved a hand in the direction of his bed. "It's nearing midnight. Go to bed. You still have school tomorrow."

Tsuna nodded sleepily, rising from his chair as he murmured absently, "'Kay. Thanks, Reborn-san."

Already in his pajamas, he tumbled into bed and was out within seconds, breathing evening out as he fell asleep.

He didn't notice the visible surprise painting Reborn's features for a full five seconds nor the smile on the hitman's face as he tugged the blankets over Tsuna's shoulders before leaving the room.

* * *

"Get up," Reborn ordered, not bothering to raise his voice as he flooded his student's room with killer intent. He watched impassively as Hiko jerked awake and fell off his bed, instinctively looking around wildly for the danger.

"Damn it, Reborn!" Hiko shouted when he caught sight of the hitman sitting on his desk. "Why did you wake me up? It's..." He squinted at his alarm clock. "It's not even six in the morning yet!"

"Sit," Reborn ignored the brat's complaints. He had no more patience for the boy's temper tantrums anymore.

"First of all," He started once Hiko had reluctantly sat down on his bed. "Do you know what kind of boss I'm training you to be?"

"We're talking about _this_ at six in the-"

"_Answer the question_," The ominous click of Reborn's gun cut the air.

Hiko scowled petulantly. "You already told me. A boss who is strong, who leads by example, who has the resolve to follow through with their actions, to understand and accept those around me for who they are. I remember."

"Do you?" Reborn tilted his fedora up. "And how many of those things have you even been able to start doing?"

Hiko gritted his teeth. "I'm strong and you're training me to be stronger. When I get into fights, I always finish them. And Kyoko's going to be mine sooner or later. And my Family members-"

"-Have the personality and resolve of cannon fodder," Reborn finished harshly. "They're lackeys. They follow you because they fear you."

"What's wrong with that?" Hiko asked indignantly. "So long as they listen to what I say-"

"Do you thing that will last?" Reborn asked sharply. "When someone stronger comes along who scares them more than you do, do you think they'll stay with you?"

A dull red had started growing on Hiko's face. "Then I'll just be the strongest!" He said belligerently. "That's what you're here for, right?"

Reborn shook his head in disgust. "Loyalty is a fickle thing for people like you," He said bluntly. "So long as you refuse to respect your subordinates, they won't respect you. And as long as that stays the same, it won't matter how well I train you. Someone stronger will always exist."

Reborn jumped down from the desk and headed for the door. "Think on it. Someone who rules with fear; is that the kind of boss you want to become?"

"...I know what this is about!"

Reborn paused in the doorway, glancing back with an unreadable look. Hiko was on his feet, one finger held up accusingly as he glared at Reborn.

"You want Dame-Tsuna to be the next boss!" Hiko snarled. "You like him better for some reason and because I won't take on any of the people you picked out as Guardians, you want to train him!"

Reborn turned, staring Hiko down. "Whether or not I like Tsuna is not the issue here," He said quietly. "And if you found Family members with equal potential to the ones I suggest, I wouldn't say a word against it. I came here to train you. I could despise you but that still wouldn't change my goal. The problem here is the fact that you have no understanding of how a true boss acts and you barely make any attempt to listen to my advice," He paused, and then said coolly, "Sometimes, I don't think you even understand how a decent human being acts."

Hiko turned beet red, anger swelling around him. "What, because I treat Dame-Tsuna like he deserves?"

Reborn surveyed the boy closely. "Why does your brother deserve it?"

"Because he's pathetic!"

"Why?"

"Because he can't do anything right!"

Reborn hid the displeasure he felt at these words. He suspected jealousy and resentment but the boy always talked in circles when Tsuna came into the picture. Well, he would leave it for now. Hiko would simply reiterate himself the more Reborn asked.

"Then what about Yamamoto?" Reborn countered instead. "Do you honestly see nothing wrong with what you said to him yesterday?"

Hiko's eyes flared with defiance. "He said _baseball_ was his life. Something as unimportant as a sport got him all depressed, and not only that, he sucks at it too. Why should I invite someone like that into my Family?"

Reborn stared in downright disbelief. "This is what you think?"

Perhaps Hiko caught something in Reborn's bland voice because he hesitated, some of the scorn retreating as he slowed down enough to consider the situation.

"Maybe it was a bit harsh," Hiko conceded stiffly. "I could... apologize."

Reborn scoffed, turning away again. "Don't force yourself; you won't mean it. You get ready for school in half an hour; you might as well get changed."

And wtih that abrupt end to their impromptu conversation, Reborn left, heading downstairs for another cup of coffee. It was too bad there was no alcohol in the house; even he could use a few glasses after putting up with his student.

_You goddamned fool, Iemitsu. You've doomed the Vongola to another generation of blood and cruelty._

* * *

Tsuna and Gokudera both looked up when a boy in their class came bursting into the room, red-faced and panting.

"Hey!" The teen shouted, radiating a mix of excitement and anxiety. "Yamamoto's about to jump off the roof!"

The room exploded into horrified exclamations as everyone scrambled for the door. Tsuna didn't move, frozen in place as he remembered the conversation he had accidentally overheard between Reborn and Hiko that morning, having been awoken by Hiko's raised voice.

Hiko, _his brother_, had pushed someone like Yamamoto this far. Tsuna didn't know the baseball player but the teen had always seemed cheerful enough, if a little gloomy lately.

"Tsuna-sama?" Gokudera was still in his seat as well, eyes alert as the bomber waited for him to make up his mind.

With a shaky nod, Tsuna darted for the door as well, sprinting in the same direction as a large number of students, Gokudera only a step behind him.

Unfortunately, it was the roof Tsuna almost always spent his lunchtimes on. As they reached the top, he didn't think he would ever be able to come up here again without picturing Yamamoto standing at the edge on the outside of the fence.

With a muttered curse, Gokudera shoved forward, clearing a path for Tsuna through the crowd of whispering students.

"Don't jump!" Some called.

"You can talk to us, Yamamoto!" Others assured.

Yamamoto didn't even glance back as he stared out over the school.

Tsuna felt himself shaking and he clutched at his shirt to try to stop the tremors. He opened his mouth but the words jumbled together and lodged themselves in his throat.

_Stop_, he wanted to scream. _My brother's not worth this._

Instead, he took a step past the undrawn line everyone else had seemingly created.

"Dame-Tsuna, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Someone hissed. "If you screw up again, he'll d-"

The student was cut off and Tsuna heard Gokudera growl something derogatory at the person. He didn't turn to look.

His attention stayed on Yamamoto instead, who had taken half a step closer to the edge. Desperation and terror welled up inside him, and this time, the words came.

"S- Stop," His voice was barely above a whisper but Yamamoto's back stiffened. "P- Please. Please stop."

Yamamoto's head craned around, near-lifeless eyes falling on Tsuna.

"Hiko?" He frowned in confusion. "No. You're the other one. Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna nodded unsteadily, advancing another step. "I- I'm sorry," He mumbled. "A- About what my brother s- said. I'm s- sorry. Please don't j- jump."

Yamamoto stared at him before a bitter smile curled at his lips. "So even you pity me, so much that you're even willing to talk. I've fallen pretty far, huh?"

Tsuna shook his head violently, trying to center himself as blood pounded in his ears. If Yamamoto jumped here, he would never forgive himself. He had to take responsibility for what his brother had done.

"I d- don't pity you," He denied. "Y- You've always b- been someone I've a- admired."

The previously dull eyes flickered with shock, a little of the usual light trickling back into them. "Admire me?"

Tsuna briefly recalled all the times he had felt like he was drowning, friendless and always alone as he ran from bullies, suffered through his classmates' taunts, watching from his window as groups of kids passed by, chatting and laughing.

"Y- You always keep smiling n- no matter what," Tsuna choked out. "No one c- can be happy all the t- time but you always tried to be, you always k- kept going. A- And baseball. Y- You've played it f- for as long as I've known you, a- and you're really g- good at it! You a- always work hard and you've d- dedicated so much t- time to it. I d- don't have any of that. I'm no good a- and stupid and s- slow so whenever I s- see you practicing a- after school no m- matter how h- hard it gets, I a- always f- feel better b- because I know that th- there's someone out there who h- has it harder th- than I do, b- because y- you have something y- you love to work towards."

Tsuna paused, swallowing as he stared back into Yamamoto's wide eyes. God, he hated talking. Was he even making any sense? The entire rooftop was as silent as the grave but all Tsuna could see was Yamamoto, still teetering at the edge, torn between life and death, and Tsuna knew he couldn't stop, even if he was babbling nonsense. He'd talk all day if it kept Yamamoto from jumping.

"I- I know y- you're having a bit of a s- slump at the moment," He continued, trying not to let his voice crack. "But i- if you give up now, h- how will you know how much better you c- could become? Nobody c- can be good at everything a- all the time; what's the p- point of doing anything if y- you don't have to work for it? L- Life would be pretty boring. I- I think y- you should just take each day at y- your own pace. P- Pushing yourself too h- hard w- won't solve anything s- so sometimes, m- maybe you just have to take a s- step back and l- look around."

Tsuna hesitated, and then took two quick steps forward. "Y- Yamamoto, look around."

Almost as if in a trance, Yamamoto slowly shifted, mouth falling open a little in almost-surprise when he looked down at the vertical drop mere inches away. Instinctively, the teen jerked back, bumping into the fence with a soft rattle.

Awareness dawned on his face as he turned back to Tsuna, tawny eyes brightening with each passing second as they clung to his own eyes.

Tsuna didn't dare look away, willing Yamamoto to come back, afraid that breaking eye contact for even a millisecond would, quite literally, push the other teen over the edge.

And finally, finally, one of Yamamoto's hands reached up for the top of the fence, and the teen carefully hoisted himself back up and over, landing on the safe side with an almost unnoticeable tremble in his legs.

Tsuna would've collapsed right then and there if it hadn't been for Gokudera's hand at his elbow.

"Great job, Boss," Gokudera murmured, and Tsuna felt far too tired to even correct the bomber on his form of address.

Now that the danger was over, the other students burst into conversation again, converging on Yamamoto as they conveyed their relief and clapped him on the back.

Knowing he was now safe, Tsuna dropped his gaze and let his shoulders sag as the cause for this entire almost-disaster came rushing back to him. He allowed Gokudera to lead him back inside and away from the crowd.

Hiko had almost pushed Yamamoto into committing suicide. His brother had almost been... a murderer?

Tsuna felt sick.

"It's not your fault, Tsuna-sama," Gokudera said fiercely as the bomber led him back to the now-empty classroom and sitting him back down. "You know that, right?"

Tsuna sighed and shrugged but Gokudera reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

"Please, Tsuna-sama," Gokudera persisted. "Talk to me."

Tsuna chewed on his lip and fumbled for the right words. "Hiko said some things to Yamamoto. Th- That's why Yamamoto wanted to jump." He rubbed a weary hand over his face. "Hiko's my brother. Maybe if I was a better older brother, a better role model-"

"Tsuna-sama, with all due respect, that has nothing to do with whatever the clone said," Gokudera cut in firmly. "First of all, you're twins. You were born minutes apart; you might as well be the same age. Second of all, Tsuna-sama would never push anyone into committing suicide. If the clone learned it from anyone, it certainly wasn't you, but I think it's just because he's stupid and talks crap without thinking about any of the consequences. And last, Tsuna-sama,"

Gokudera leaned forward, staring Tsuna dead in the eye. "You have to stop taking all of the clone's faults and making them your own. Your brother needs to learn how to take responsibility for his actions."

Tsuna gaped at him a little. Gokudera had never been so vocal about Hiko before. He knew the bomber didn't like (more like detested) Hiko's attitude, but he had always kept to only a handful of insults since he was Tsuna's brother.

Tsuna nodded dumbly, to which Gokudera smiled and then hastily backtracked and apologized profusely for speaking out of turn. Tsuna sweatdropped and did his best to calm the bomber down.

It wasn't until the bell sounded that the students began to file back inside again. Tsuna heard the whispers of disbelief, that _Dame-Tsuna_ of all people had saved Yamamoto, had talked again, and he kept his head down as much as possible. He hated being the center of attention. It always made him feel uncomfortable.

* * *

"Hey, wait up!" Takeshi called, stuffing the last of his homework into his bag as he raced out after Tsuna and that new student, Gokudera. Those two always left so quickly.

Tsuna paused mid-step, turning back uncertainly as the teen beside him whirled and pinned Takeshi with a death glare.

"What do you want, baseball freak?" Gokudera snapped.

Takeshi grinned cheerfully at him before focusing on the shorter of the two. "Just wanted to thank Tsuna. I would've been in big trouble if he hadn't been there."

Wary brown eyes blinked back at him and Takeshi made sure he looked as laidback as physically possible.

"So thanks," He told the younger teen. "And I'm sorry if I worried you."

"Damn straight you should be!" Gokudera barked. "Who told you to do something as stupid as listen to the clone?"

Takeshi blinked, glancing down at Tsuna who was staring silently at the ground.

"I shouldn't have," He agreed easily, reaching out to clasp Tsuna's right shoulder. He gentled his grip but ignored the slight flinch under his hand as Tsuna looked up again. "But now I've got Tsuna to watch my back."

"Tsuna-sama's got better things to do than watch out for an idiot like you," Gokudera retorted.

"Maa, maa," Takeshi shouldered his bag as he swung one arm around Tsuna's shoulders. "I'm just saying we'll look out for each other. We're friends now, after all."

Tsuna's head shot up, twisting to look at Takeshi with a surprised but almost fearful look.

"Yup," Takeshi confirmed freely, hearing the brunet's unspoken question. "We're friends now."

"Don't just assume things, baseball freak!" Gokudera growled, but his expression became resigned when Tsuna shook his head at him.

"Cause trouble for Tsuna-sama and I'll blow you up," Gokudera promised instead.

Takeshi laughed. "Oh, you must be talking about those fireworks you're always setting off around the teacher."

"Fire-!" Gokudera spluttered before whipping out said fireworks and waving them in Takeshi's face. "Listen, you retarded jock! These aren't fireworks; they're dynamite! Make one wrong move like annoy Tsuna-sama and I'll blast you to kingdom come!"

Takeshi brushed the threat off as they began to walk out of the school. "Cool, maybe I should get some too, just in case you annoy Tsuna."

Gokudera looked torn between outrage and disbelief. "You'd blow yourself up if anyone ever handed you a bomb. And I would never annoy Tsuna-sama!"

"And neither would I," Takeshi agreed, expertly ignoring the insult. "Why do you call him Tsuna-sama anyway?"

Gokudera drew himself up proudly. "I"m Tsuna-sama's personal bodyguard."

"Oh, Tsuna needs bodyguards?" Takeshi's gaze sharpened, looking down as Tsuna frantically shook his head. He frowned thoughtfully. "Well then, I'll be his bodyguard too. After all, two people protecting him are better than one."

"Are you implying that I can't protect Tsuna-sama properly?" Gokudera demanded.

"Are you having any difficulties with the job?"

"Of course not!"

"Then I can help you."

"_I just said I wasn't!_"

Takeshi laughed again, taking note of the small smile on Tsuna's face as he watched them banter. It was rather sad that he couldn't remember Tsuna ever smiling before and he was fairly certain they had been in the same class together since kindergarten.

"Hey Tsuna," Takeshi peered down at the brunet, still smiling but serious now. "I don't agree with everything you said on the roof."

Gokudera's glare immediately zeroed in on him but Takeshi hurried on before he could interrupt.

"I don't think someone no good, stupid and slow could've saved me," He continued earnestly. "So that means you're none of those things, okay?"

Tsuna blinked at him, clearly startled, and then promptly turned red as he dipped his head in an affirmative nod.

Takeshi grinned brightly as Gokudera clicked his tongue in annoyance but didn't refute his claim.

"So where are we going?"

Gokudera almost fell over. "Baseball freak, do you make a habit of following people around without knowing where they're going first?"

"Nope, but if it's Tsuna I'm following, then it's alright, isn't it?"

Gokudera looked momentarily incensed but Tsuna reached out and patted him on the arm, calming him down somewhat.

"Gokudera-kun's j- just walking me home, Yamamoto-san," Tsuna murmured, surprising Takeshi. He had hoped it wouldn't be a one-time occurrence; Tsuna said a lot of cool things when he wanted to talk, but it seemed Takeshi now fell into the small group of people who Tsuna would talk to. Come to think of it, it had only been Gokudera before.

Grinning widely, Takeshi quickly corrected the brunet. "You don't need a –san at the end of my name; it sounds weird. In fact, you can just call me Takeshi; I don't mind."

Tsuna turned red again and stammered something that sounded like a protest but Takeshi shook his head. "Call me Takeshi," He insisted.

Tsuna's mouth opened and closed for a moment before he mumbled, "T- Takeshi-kun then."

Over Tsuna's head, Gokudera shot him a blistering glare before turning back to the brunet.

"Then I would be honoured if you could call me Hayato, Tsuna-sama," Gokudera flushed a little but stared back at Tsuna determinedly.

Tsuna scratched his head in an embarrassed manner but nodded shyly in the end. "Okay. Hayato-kun then."

Gokudera looked exceedingly happy and Takeshi opened his mouth to tease him a little but a highly unwelcome voice cut him off.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

All three came to a stop in front of a two-story house, and judging by the way Takehiko had one foot inside the gate, Takeshi guessed that this was Tsuna's house. Under his arm, he felt the tension gathering in Tsuna's shoulders and he tightened his arm a little to try to reassure him.

"Walking to Tsuna-sama's house, clone," Gokudera spat out, instantly hostile in a way that was completely different from when he had been arguing with Takeshi. "What does it look like?"

Hiko glared at him before switching his gaze to Takeshi. The words from yesterday echoed in his head but they seemed fainter than even just a few hours ago, replaced by Tsuna's words, shaky and faltering but holding a certain conviction that Hiko's had never had.

"I meant what is _he_ doing here?" Hiko eyed Takeshi suspiciously.

Takeshi did what he did best: smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of movement and found a kid in a black suit and hat perched on top of the wall surrounding the Sawada household.

"What Gokudera said," Takeshi answered before turning a curious look on the baby. "Who's this?"

The baby blinked at him. "I'm Reborn, Hiko's tutor."

"Oh, really?" Takeshi grinned at the kid. "Nice to meet you."

Reborn tipped his hat in reply but Hiko spoke up before the baby could say anything.

"I heard about your suicide attempt today," Hiko said, and Takeshi felt Tsuna flinch under his arm. "And to think, I was actually considering you for my Family. How stupid can you get?"

Takeshi could feel Tsuna shaking and Gokudera released an almost inaudible growl on the brunet's other side.

"Pretty stupid," Takeshi said cheerfully. "So I'm lucky I had Tsuna to talk me out of it."

Hiko scoffed. "Dame-Tsuna?"

Takeshi's smile sharpened. "No," He corrected. "Tsuna. There's nothing Dame about him at all."

Hiko just sneered and his eyes burned with something Takeshi almost thought was jealousy. "Dame-Tsuna's always been Dame. But I suppose a failure like you fits in perfectly with him."

Tsuna jerked underneath his arm as if he wanted to pull away and launch himself at Hiko, and Takeshi quickly glanced down, tightening his arm to show he didn't mind.

He stilled when he caught sight of the haunted look in Tsuna's eyes, angry and hurt and confused all at once, like he couldn't understand why his brother would say things like that, angry that his twin would say them at all, and hurting for Takeshi all the while.

_Hiko's hurting Tsuna more than he's hurting me,_ Takeshi realized with sudden clarity.

Which was absolutely unacceptable.

Tsuna had saved his life and that was something Takeshi would never forget. When Tsuna had told him to look around, he had been almost shocked at how high up he was. One wrong step and he would've fallen. His father had inexplicably flashed into his mind in that one instant and Takeshi just knew his old man would've been devastated if he had really committed suicide.

So Takeshi couldn't ever repay Tsuna enough and he had made up his mind the moment he had consciously decided to live; he would do the same for Tsuna, protect him as much as he could, even from his own brother. Especially from his own brother.

"Oi," Gokudera's voice was low and dangerous as he pulled out those fireworks he always carried around. If the white-knuckled grip he had on them was any indication, Takeshi was pretty sure the other teen had caught a glimpse of Tsuna's face as well. "Why don't you do everyone a favour and keep your fucking mouth shut?"

Hiko snorted. "What, like Dame-Tsuna? He's the one nobody cares-"

Takeshi saw the exact moment Gokudera snapped, half a second before the teen lunged forward and hurled the fireworks straight at Hiko. They went off with loud bangs and an explosion of smoke, and Takeshi instinctively shielded Tsuna from the detonations.

"You fucking _bastard_, what is _wrong_ with you?!" Gokudera bellowed, and Takeshi wholeheartedly agreed with the question. How could _anyone_ treat family like that?

"Tsuna!" Takeshi exclaimed as the brunet tore himself away from his grip and into the smoke. Without thinking, he dove in after him, squinting his eyes as he tried to keep Tsuna in his line of sight.

Several loud cracks erupted into the air just as Takeshi managed to grab Tsuna and Tsuna managed to grab Gokudera's arm. The grey-haired teen's fist was in the air and he strained against Tsuna's hold.

"_Enough_," A dark voice interjected, and as the smoke cleared, Takeshi found the baby still standing on the wall but with a green gun in hand and pointed upwards.

"Hiko," Reborn turned to Tsuna's twin first, who, now that Takeshi could see, was laying on the ground, a little singed and glaring furiously at Gokudera.

"Go inside," The baby continued in a voice that warned against anymore antics. When Hiko opened his mouth (unwisely, in Takeshi's opinion), Reborn directed his gun at the boy's head. Takeshi wasn't sure how much use a toy gun was but the look on the kid's face was enough to get anyone moving.

Hiko was no different, and with a last glare at all of them, the teen disappeared inside.

Gokudera had lowered his arm by the time Reborn turned to them. To Takeshi's surprise, the baby's gun changed into a lizard of some sort and crawled back onto Reborn's hat.

A long moment of silence descended over them and Takeshi took the time to check Tsuna over. Gokudera did the same, looking anxiously over the brunet.

"Tsuna-sama, are you alright?" Gokudera asked worriedly. "You didn't get hurt did you?"

Takeshi didn't say anything. He took one look at Tsuna's expression and knew, just _knew_, the teen was crying inside. He had never known that someone _could_ cry without actually crying, but Tsuna could talk without actually talking so he supposed if anyone could pull it off, it was him.

"Tsuna," Takeshi made sure to keep his voice light as blank eyes turned to look at him. "I know it's a bit short notice but do you want to come over to my place for some sushi? My dad runs a sushi store and he makes the best dishes in all of Namimori."

He glanced over at Gokudera and added, "Gokudera can come too. We can make it a party to celebrate our newfound friendship."

Gokudera blanched and shot him a disgusted look but didn't say anything against it. Instead, he muttered a slightly strained agreement and they both waited for Tsuna to decide.

Tsuna glanced back at the house before nodding tentatively.

"That's a good idea," Reborn interrupted, and a second later, Takeshi found a packed duffel bag being thrown at him. He hastily caught it and shot the kid a bewildered look.

"Could you put Tsuna up for the night?" The kid requested, and Takeshi immediately nodded. He had been planning on asking Tsuna anyway once they had reached his house.

Beside him, Tsuna stiffened and began shaking his head but Takeshi headed him off. "You're welcome to stay, Tsuna. We've got a spare bedroom but it'll be fun if we just make it a sleepover and you can both bunk in my room."

Tsuna hesitated but the kid cut in again, tone firm. "Tsuna, it wouldn't do you any good if you stayed tonight," He paused and then offered with a strange glint in his eyes, "Or you could stay and I'll have Hiko sleep elsewhere."

This seemed to make up Tsuna's mind because the brunet nodded, shoulders relaxing a notch, and Takeshi released a sigh of relief as he and Gokudera ushered him away.

Takeshi had only just befriended Tsuna, but technically, they had known each other for years, and the easy camaraderie he felt with his classmate certainly made it seem as if they had been friends for just as long. A sleepover didn't seem at all strange even though his dad would probably do a double-take. Takeshi hadn't invited anyone over since he was eight.

* * *

When his son walked in with the Hurricane Bomb behind him, Tsuyoshi hadn't known what to make of it. He remembered Takeshi mentioning a transfer student but he had never imagined it would be someone in the Italian mafia.

It had taken him a moment longer to spot the smallest of the three straggling behind his son but in front of the bomber. Tsuyoshi had scanned the boy for all of a second, nodded when Takeshi asked him if they could have a sleepover, and immediately set out to make some of his best dishes for the three as Takeshi came over and introduced them.

Sawada Tsunayoshi was worryingly guarded against Tsuyoshi's smiles. His son had pulled him aside for a moment when the boy was occupied with an unraveled shoelace and cautioned him about his tendency to stay silent. Tsunayoshi could talk but usually didn't, especially when strangers were around.

Tsuyoshi hadn't so much as blinked, treating the two boys with sushi and small talk as Takeshi helped him in the kitchen. And slowly, Tsunayoshi had relaxed, especially when his son had gotten into a rather one-sided argument with Gokudera Hayato.

And when all three were full, Takeshi had ushered Tsunayoshi upstairs, Hayato had run home to get an extra set of clothes and a few other things, and Tsuyoshi had been left with a knife in his hand and contemplating who he was going to have to wave it at.

"Tou-san?"

Tsuyoshi turned and smiled at his son. "Is Tsuna-kun settling in alright?"

Takeshi nodded, running a hand through his hair in a distracted manner as he took a seat on one of the stools. "He's phoning his mom just in case she doesn't know he's over here."

Tsuyoshi waited for a long minute before enquiring evenly, "Is he being abused?"

Takeshi jerked and almost toppled off the chair. "What? No, of course not!" He stopped. "...Well-"

"Abuse doesn't necessarily have to be physical, Takeshi," Tsuyoshi said calmly. "That boy hasn't smiled once since he got here, and no one stops talking for no reason. Someone's hurt him, badly, and I don't mean just once or twice."

Takeshi shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, Tou-san. I- I only just became friends with him today. He helped me out- I mean-"

Tsuyoshi watched him closely and finished for his son when it looked like Takeshi wouldn't be able to tell him. "He stopped you from jumping today."

Takeshi's head shot up and his jaw dropped open. "How did you-"

Tsuyoshi smiled wryly but there was no joy in the action. "Some students came in for sushi after school and I heard them talking. I knew you hadn't in the end, which is the only reason I didn't rush out immediately when I heard."

Takeshi flushed and his shoulders hunched guiltily. "I'm sorry, Tou-san. I don't know what I was thinking."

Tsuyoshi just sighed, coming around the counter to wrap his son in a hug. Takeshi's arms came around him and tightened almost painfully.

"There's nothing to apologize for," Tsuyoshi said quietly. "If anything, I should be sorry for not seeing it."

Takeshi pulled away, shaking his head vehemently. "No way; I was the one being stupid. But Tsuna talked me out of it."

Tsuyoshi nodded thoughtfully, glancing up the stairs in the back. "Yes, he must really be something, though your schoolmates had less than ideal opinions about him."

Takeshi's eyes hardened in a way Tsuyoshi had never seen before.

"They're wrong," Takeshi said heatedly. "Tsuna's great. He's not the best in school or sports and he doesn't talk much but he cares about people. He even cares about that brother-"

Tsuyoshi raised an eyebrow when his son cut himself off, an uncharacteristic frown marring his features.

"His brother?" Tsuyoshi felt a sense of foreboding as he took a seat beside his son.

Takeshi grimaced. "Younger twin brother. He's... really nasty. And I don't mean your average bully nasty. I was with Tsuna and Hiko for no more than ten minutes and he didn't stop insulting Tsuna until Gokudera threw fireworks at him."

Tsuyoshi was fairly certain the 'fireworks' were actually real dynamite but he'd let his son think what he wanted for now.

"And Tsuna-kun didn't say anything?" Tsuyoshi asked, though he supposed that was a rather stupid question.

Takeshi shook his head. "He just stood there. He didn't really get angry until Hiko insulted me about... today."

Tsuyoshi frowned and he had to shove down a rush of anger at this. How could anyone, even a child, throw something like suicide around so carelessly?

"I think it's been going on for a long time," Takeshi added.

"What about his parents?" Surely they wouldn't stand for such behaviour?

"Oh, Tsuna lives with just his mum," Takeshi revealed almost awkwardly. "Somehow, someone found out years ago that his dad's almost never around and some of the kids tease him about it. Not recently though. I think Gokudera chases away anyone who even looks at Tsuna the wrong way."

Probably, Tsuyoshi agreed silently, thinking of the near-worship attitude that had shone through various times throughout that afternoon.

"There's this kid, though," Takeshi continued. "Says he's Hiko's tutor. Packed Tsuna an overnight bag and asked if he could stay over here. He must be really smart."

Alarm bells were ringing in Takeshi's head. "Kid?" He repeated. "Do you know his name?"

Takeshi nodded. "Reborn."

Tsuyoshi was very careful not to reveal any sort of shock. What in the world was the Sun Arcobaleno doing in Namimori?

Tsuyoshi was retired but that didn't mean he didn't still keep an ear to the ground, just in case something big happened. He had no idea what Reborn was doing in Japan though. And did Reborn know who Tsuyoshi was?

"I see," He said out loud. "Well, Tsuna-kun will always be welcome here. If it is his brother, then for now, perhaps it would be best if Tsuna-kun spends some time apart from him. Maybe you could have a few more sleepovers?"

Takeshi finally smiled, features relaxing again. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Thanks, Tou-san."

Tsuyoshi nodded and watched Takeshi disappear upstairs. Life had just gotten a lot more interesting.

* * *

_Nono,_

_Training underway. Progress slow. I find him unsuitable, but will do my best._

_Reborn_

* * *

**Next Chapter: Bianchi and Lambo**


	4. Lady Poison and the Child from Bovino

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Lady Poison and the Child from Bovino**

"You're back," Reborn said as soon as the front door swung open and Tsuna stepped in. "I'm surprised you managed to talk Gokudera and Yamamoto into letting you come here alone."

Tsuna shrugged, placing his duffel bag on the ground by the couch before sitting down a few feet away from Reborn.

"Your brother's still asleep," Reborn continued, watching the teen. He received a nod this time.

Reborn had never been one to beat around the bush when a situation called for a direct approach. "What happened between you and Hiko?"

Tsuna started, shooting him a startled look, but didn't reply, not that Reborn had been expecting one. Instead, he kept a close eye on the brunet. While Tsuna rarely ever talked, Reborn had gotten accustomed to picking up tells and gestures.

Tsuna's gaze moved away and Reborn followed it. There were a group of pictures gathered on one corner of the coffee table and Reborn found himself looking at a photo of a laughing blond with one arm around Nana.

Reborn glanced back at Tsuna again when the teen rose to his feet. He had suspected as much, that Iemitsu had something to do with the rift between the twins, and while he still didn't know how, at least it was confirmed now.

He blinked when a notebook fell into his line of sight, filled with calculations and a few diagrams. He hid a wry smile; not even Dino had voluntarily handed him homework to correct. It usually didn't mean well for anyone on the receiving end of Reborn's gun.

He weighed his options before reaching out to take the notebook. He was Hiko's tutor and while he wasn't allowed to train Tsuna, that didn't necessarily mean he couldn't correct a few math questions. Besides, polishing up Tsuna's academic skills would be beneficial towards supporting Hiko.

Hiko. As Reborn checked over the work (much better than the ones Reborn had taken a look at when he first arrived), he wondered what he was going to do with the boy. Normally, he'd have thrown in the towel and dropped the brat by now, but he had made a promise and it wasn't in his nature to give up. Still, if Hiko didn't want to learn, there wasn't anything Reborn could do about it.

"The first half is correct," Reborn flicked a glance up at Tsuna. "Did Gokudera help you with that part?"

Tsuna nodded. Reborn scanned the latter half before handing it back.

"Three of them are wrong. Figure out which ones and fix them. You have an hour. If you're not finished by then..." He trailed off meaningfully and received a hasty nod in return before the boy scampered away.

With a satisfied smirk, Reborn jumped to the ground as well. It was time to wake Hiko up. After what had happened yesterday, Reborn had made it _very_ clear to his student that learning some tact and manners was something that would go a long way to prolonging his life. He had even pressed the issue by mentioning how unlikely it would be for Hiko to gain any allies in the future if he didn't learn how to keep his uglier thoughts to himself. The brat hadn't been able to refute that logic, and somewhere between lectures and threats and bullets, Reborn had gotten a grudging agreement out of his student to avoid Tsuna as much as possible.

He wasn't particularly happy about this compromise but it was the best he would get out of Hiko for now.

* * *

Tsuna looked up from his homework when a crack sounded and his window rattled ominously. He had gotten used to the multiple explosions and crashes that rocked the house everyday – Reborn was a hellish teacher, and while Tsuna appreciated the hitman's help with his own schoolwork, he was rather glad Reborn only stuck to bullets with him and hadn't advanced to bombs and whatever else the tutor had in his arsenal yet – but they usually took place next door and not outside.

Hesitantly, he got up and peered out the window, more resigned than surprised that their front yard was now home to an assortment of weapons. He blinked in confusion when he saw a baby scurry out of the mess and towards their front door, and moments later, he heard the doorbell ring.

Was the baby an associate of Reborn's? Tsuna turned to his bedroom door when he heard someone pass by, and then winced when his brother's door was thrown open with a bang.

Great. Hiko was going to have a fit.

_"Hey! What the hell's this baby doing here?"_ Tsuna heard through the walls. His house wasn't soundproof so he often overheard anything his brother had to say when he raised his voice.

_"It's been a while, Reborn!"_ An unfamiliar voice announced. _"It's me! Lambo!"_

So the kid's name was Lambo and he seemed to be a friend of Reborn's.

_"Remember this formula, alright?"_

Tsuna twitched. Okay, maybe not a friend.

_"I asked you a question, Reborn! Did you invite another weirdo into the house?"_

_"Hey! Don't ignore me!"_ Lambo cried. Tsuna had the feeling this baby really was a baby and definitely not like Reborn.

There was a crash, and Tsuna stared pensively at the wall separating the two bedrooms as sniffles sounded. Absently, he sidled closer to the wall.

_"The five-year-old hitman Lambo-san of the Bovino Family, who came from Italy, has tripped!"_ Lambo bawled. _"My favourite foods are grapes and candy drops! The sworn rival of Reborn, Lambo-san, has tripped!"_

Tsuna sweatdropped. This was so weird it was beyond scary. He had thought there would be another version of Reborn in the house but Lambo just seemed like a normal child. Well, not normal per se, but at least he acted his physical age, unlike Reborn.

_"Is this an enemy, Reborn?"_ His brother snapped. _"I can easily get rid of this menace-"_

_"Try solving this with the formula,"_ Reborn continued, cutting Hiko off without preamble.

_"It's so nice to see you again, Reborn!"_ Lambo tried again, and Tsuna tensed. His brother didn't particularly like children.

_"You're just going to ignore it? I want it out of my room!"_

The sniffles grew again and Tsuna managed to catch a muffled, _"Gotta stay... calm..."_

Pressing his ear to the wall, he heard Lambo say in a louder voice, _"Oh my, I wonder what this is?"_

If the weapons on their front lawn were any indication, Tsuna didn't want to know.

_"Ta da! Die, Reborn!"_

Oh, that couldn't be good.

There was a thump, a shriek, and then Tsuna managed to turn just in time to see the new kid sailing out the window and into their tree outside. A split second later, Tsuna leapt back as an explosion ignited from the tree, rocking the house and spreading smoke everywhere.

Distantly, he picked up Reborn's voice over the blast. _"Now the next question."_

A pause, and then Tsuna flinched away from the wall when a bullet slammed against it, right where his head had been closest to. Tsuna didn't need any more prompting. Reborn somehow always knew when he wasn't working and was actively listening in. There were probably quite a number of dents on Hiko's side of the wall now.

With a sigh, he returned to his desk, finishing up the last question that needed to be fixed. He had six minutes to spare before Reborn came to check on him and fifteen more minutes before Hayato and Takeshi would arrive outside. His two friends – and that still brought a smile to his face when he thought about it – had only relented and let him go home to put his things down after he had promised he would stay away from Hiko.

Honestly, he appreciated the concern – it was a novelty really – but even Reborn seemed a bit too protective for his tastes. Didn't they remember he had _lived_ with Hiko for thirteen years before he had really known any of them?

Glancing out the window again, Tsuna caught a glimpse of Lambo crawling out of the wreckage and crying at the top of its lungs.

_"Hey, would you shut it, you stupid cow! I'm trying to study here- ow!"_

_"Ignore him. Get back to work."_

Tsuna sighed as the cries got louder. No doubt, after seeing how Reborn treated the child, Hiko had decided it would be alright to treat Lambo like he did everyone he didn't like and then some.

Making up his mind, Tsuna hurried from his room and headed downstairs, pausing to wave at his mother and grab some candy from a cabinet in the kitchen. Lambo liked candy drops, right? On second thought, he snatched up a few tissues as well.

Tsuna didn't have any experience handling children but at least they didn't dislike him on the spot. Moving over to where Lambo was sitting, still wailing and upset, Tsuna dropped down next to him, waiting for the kid to look up.

The cries got momentarily louder before quieting again, and Tsuna found himself on the receiving end of a watery green gaze.

"Y- You called me a stupid cow," Lambo hiccupped, trying to glare.

Tsuna blinked and then shook his head.

"You did!" Lambo accused, bristling as he sniffed.

Tsuna shook his head again. He wanted to offer a candy as a peace offering but didn't everyone know not to take candy from strangers? That would make him some sort of creep, wouldn't it?

There was a loud yelp above them as another round of bullets tore through the air and both of them could hear Hiko complaining of the rough treatment.

Lambo turned wide eyes back on him. "There are two of you?"

Tsuna shrugged and nodded. Carefully, he pulled out a Kleenex and held it out to the child. When Lambo made no move to take it, still blinking owlishly up at him, Tsuna took the initiative and wiped away the remaining tears. Once he was finished, he pulled out a candy and offered it to Lambo.

Lambo brightened immediately, snatching it from Tsuna's hand before he could blink. Apparently, not everyone learned the 'don't take candy from strangers' rule.

"Lambo-san deems you worthy of Lambo-san's presence," The kid announced after popping the candy in his mouth.

Tsuna quirked a smile. The kid was cute in a faintly exasperating sort of way.

"Who are you?" Lambo asked, eyeing Tsuna curiously. "Are you the meanie's brother?"

Tsuna nodded again, not protesting when Lambo jumped up and clambered onto his head.

"You're nicer," Lambo decided. "What's your name?"

Tsuna paused. He certainly felt a lot less guarded against a kid.

"Tsuna," He said softly, getting to his feet and heading back inside. "You met my brother, Hiko."

Lambo crossed his arms. "Hmph. He can be Baka-Hiko."

Tsuna coughed to hide a chuckle. He didn't usually like anyone badmouthing his twin but he supposed kids were different.

"Do you want to eat breakfast with us?" Tsuna asked instead.

Lambo puffed out his chest. "Since you asked, Lambo-san will grace you with his presence!"

Tsuna just nodded, smothering another smile. He paused in the kitchen's doorway as his mother caught sight of them, her eyes lighting up.

"Oh, are you one of Reborn-chan's friends?" She smiled warmly at Lambo. "Come in. We're just about to have breakfast."

Lambo took to Tsuna's mother like a fish to water, and after getting a nod of approval from Reborn for his homework, Tsuna invited Hayato and Takeshi inside and extra chairs were pulled up for everyone. As everyone gathered in the kitchen, chatter rising and falling above the sizzling pan, Tsuna just watched as his mother's smile became more and more radiant.

She must have missed this, Tsuna realized. When it had just been the three of them, mealtimes were usually filed with Hiko's taunts and his account what he had done that day as Nana enquired about it. His mother sometimes asked him too but Tsuna always responded with a shrug and kept his head down. His father was barely ever around, and when he was, the good-for-nothing man was usually drunk in the living room and singing about his wife.

Tsuna had never been one to hold a grudge but even he had an exception. He had spent enough nights sitting on the stairs listening to his mother cry downstairs after he and Hiko had turned in because she didn't want them to hear. He was pretty sure Hiko didn't know but Tsuna had always been good at picking up what other people were feeling.

Oddly enough, there were no complaints from Hiko as everyone sat down for breakfast. His twin ignored them and sat away from their group as much as possible but he hadn't said a word against their presence at all.

"What are you spacing out for, Tsuna?" Reborn piped up from beside him.

Tsuna glanced once more at his brother before shaking his head. If anyone could keep his brother in line, he supposed it would be Reborn.

* * *

"Hey, Tsuna, I think your new kid brother followed you to school," Takeshi pointed out.

Tsuna blinked and turned, catching a glimpse of a cow-patterned suit before Lambo ducked out of sight again.

With a sigh, Tsuna walked over to the tree Lambo was hiding behind and leaned down. "Lambo, you can't come to school with me."

Lambo leapt out and attached himself to Tsuna's arm. "No! Lambo-san will go where Lambo-san wants and Lambo-san wants to go with Tsuna-nii!"

"You stupid cow!" Hayato growled from Tsuna's right. "You want to get Tsuna-sama in trouble?"

To say that Hayato and Lambo hadn't hit it off was the understatement of the century. On the other hand, Lambo had taken to calling Tsuna 'Tsuna-nii' after the teen had saved him from Reborn's bullets, hammers, sticks, and whatever else the hitman had retaliated with when Lambo had tried to kill him.

"I'm going with Tsuna-nii!" Lambo's voice pitched high and Tsuna didn't have to be telepathic to see how close to tears the kid was again.

"Why don't you spend the day with Kaa-san?" Tsuna suggested. "You like her, don't you?"

Lambo sniffled. "Lambo-san will see Mamma later. Lambo-san wants to stay with Tsuna-nii now!"

On his left, Takeshi laughed. "Well, why not? We can hide him in class and the teacher will never know."

Hayato instantly rounded on him. "That'll never work, baseball freak! I know the teachers are pretty stupid but even they'll notice since the stupid cow can't stay quiet!"

"Well then, there's only one option left," Takeshi said, still smiling cheerfully. "We'll just have to skip."

"Tsuna-sama's attendance will be ruined," Hayato growled, though they all knew the bomber couldn't care less about skipping class himself.

Tsuna just sighed, straightening up with Lambo in his arms. "L- Let's skip," He decided, trying not to think of what Reborn would say when he found out. "W- We have a free period in Japanese this morning and we're just discussing the project for history later. M- Maybe Lambo will want to go home by lunch."

"Of course, Tsuna-sama!" Hayato beamed agreeably.

Tsuna pointed out that both of them could still go but Hayato wouldn't hear a word of it and Takeshi claimed he would be bored without them anyway.

* * *

It was easy enough to bypass the classrooms and settle down in one of the courtyards. It wasn't so easy not to freeze in fear when the wall of the water fountain slid open and Reborn popped out, lounging in a miniature armchair.

"Skipping today, Tsuna?" Reborn asked calmly. "And for no good reason."

Tsuna flushed and glanced down at Lambo who had been wriggling to get down as soon as he had spotted Reborn.

"That's not a good reason," Reborn said adamantly.

"I've got you now, Reborn!" Lambo cut in, jumping down to the ground and pulling a missile launcher out of hair.

Tsuna did a double-take as Hayato leapt in front of him, dynamite in hand.

Takeshi laughed on the side. "Wow! Toys these days look so real!"

Tsuna opened his mouth to stop Hayato but Reborn's presence made him hesitate and the bomber wasted no time hurling the bombs.

"Get that thing away from Tsuna-sama!" Hayato hollered just as the dynamite went off and around Lambo.

By the time the smoke cleared, Lambo was sprawled on the ground and his weapon was shattered.

Tsuna sighed. Since Reborn's arrival, there hadn't been a single day where nothing like this happened.

In front of them, Lambo burst out crying and Tsuna moved forward to comfort him, shooting a reproachful look at Hayato that instantly made the bomber look chagrined.

But before Tsuna could reach Lambo, the Bovino had scrambled to his feet and was now in the process of pulling out a purple bazooka.

_How does he even manage to store so many weapons in his hair?_ Was all Tsuna could think before Lambo had jumped into the weapon and a cloud of pink smoke erupted around them.

"What happened?" Hayato coughed. "Tsuna-sama, are you alright?"

Tsuna nodded, waving a hand to clear the smoke.

"What was that?" Takeshi spoke up, squinting into the pink haze.

"That was the Ten-Year Bazooka," Reborn said from behind them. "A person hit with it will be replaced with themselves from ten years in the future. It only lasts for five minutes though."

Tsuna stiffened. Lambo from ten years in the future?

As the smoke cleared, a teenager stood before them, hands in his pockets and an almost lazy slouch to his frame.

"That's really the stupid cow?" Hayato said, looking wide-eyed at the newcomer.

"Cool," Takeshi remarked, studying the older Lambo with interest. The Bovino was looking around with a faintly confused expression, stilling only when his gaze landed on Tsuna.

Tsuna didn't even have time to nod before he was suddenly accosted by Lambo, almost yanked off his feet as the teen seized him by the shoulders.

"Hey, stupid cow!" Hayato instantly bristled. "Get your hands off Tsuna-sama!"

Lambo barely glanced at the bomber, single green eye searching Tsuna's before finally taking a step back. He didn't let go.

"Tsuna-nii," Lambo said, and there was tangle of emotions in that one address, leaking into the way his hands clutched at Tsuna's shoulders with near-bruising force.

Tsuna blinked at him and nodded a greeting. To his surprise, a wistful smile curved Lambo's lips. "That's right. You didn't talk much ten years ago."

"Ah, does that mean Tsuna talks more in the future?" Takeshi asked, voice still light, but his eyes were searching Lambo as if he was trying to figure out the reason behind the underlying tension the Bovino had brought with him.

Lambo just shrugged a little before his gaze finally tore away from Tsuna and landed on Reborn. Twisting around a little, Tsuna caught the unreadable look the hitman was wearing. So it wasn't just him who thought something was very wrong.

"Reborn," Lambo greeted, but there was a hard note in his voice. It wasn't even the same petulance that the five-year-old Lambo had had every time he tried to kill the hitman.

In any other situation, Tsuna had a feeling Reborn would have ignored Lambo, fifteen or no, but this time, the hitman only nodded back.

"Stupid cow, what's wrong with you?" Hayato interjected, scowling at Lambo.

Lambo blinked and finally turned fully to the bomber. "Ah, Gokudera-shi. Still as hotheaded as ever."

Hayato twitched. "I'm not the one walking around with an arsenal in my hair!"

Tsuna sweatdropped. _Maybe not in your hair but you certainly walk around with an arsenal in your clothes._

Lambo looked amused but it soon faded as he turned back to stare down at Tsuna. His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something and then closed again when nothing came out. Instead, he glanced at Reborn again, an odd cold look entering his open eye.

No one spoke for a long moment as Tsuna, Takeshi, and Hayato looked between Reborn and Lambo. Reborn hadn't said a word either, features blank and calm as Lambo studied him.

Tsuna shifted a little and Lambo's hold immediately tightened, though the Bovino didn't look away from Reborn. The five minutes were almost up and none of them had any idea why Lambo looked so serious.

Finally, Lambo blinked and his grip on Tsuna loosened before pulling him into a hug.

"Stupid cow, what-!" Hayato spluttered.

"I blame you," Lambo said, a harsh edge lining his voice as he stared almost malevolently at Reborn. "I never got to tell you that so I'll have to settle for your past self. I don't know if the others do, but I blame you. You made the wrong damn choice and it cost us everything."

"What does that mean?" Takeshi asked, still observing the standoff.

Reborn's expression was completely closed off, black eyes fathomless as Lambo turned back to Tsuna once more.

"Tsuna-nii," Lambo continued in a lighter tone. "We're working on it. It's going to be tough but you've always been the strongest out of all of us. You're going to be fine this time."

Tsuna stared. What did that mean?

"Stop speaking in riddles, damn it!" Hayato burst out. "What are you talking about?"

But Lambo shook his head. "We're working on it," He repeated, and then promptly disappeared in an explosion of smoke, leaving a five-year-old Lambo blinking in confusion on the ground.

"What the _hell_ was that about?" Hayato said in the following silence.

No one had an answer and Lambo was currently distracting himself with his weapons, storing them away. Tsuna turned to Reborn to see if the hitman had any idea but the tutor was gone, the water fountain closed up as if it had never been opened.

* * *

When a person has lost something close to them, something truly precious, the hurt that comes with that loss never goes away. It could fade eventually, but it would always be there, a darkness in their eyes, a shadow in their smile, hidden away but there if you knew what to look for.

Which had been the only reason Reborn hadn't dismissed the adolescent when he had appeared. Tsuna didn't have a particularly high opinion of himself so it wouldn't occur to him, Gokudera wouldn't allow himself to even think about it unless he had substantial proof, and Yamamoto still thought everything to be a game. Besides, the cow had been purposefully vague, his words obscure enough that three teens who were still relatively normal middle-schoolers wouldn't understand.

But Reborn had seen. He had seen the desperate way Lambo had clutched at Tsuna like a lifeline, had seen the restrained fury borne from censure that blazed in his open eye as he stared at Reborn, and he had seen the resignation when it was clear the cow couldn't reveal too much about the future, couldn't warn them about things to come.

Reborn certainly wasn't afraid of Lambo. Even at fifteen, he could take the Bovino down with both hands tied behind his back and blindfolded but the words the cow had thrown at him had been unsettling. The Bovino hadn't even been looking for a fight; he had simply stated his thoughts like a fact.

In addition to that, while everyone had been occupied with Lambo's fifteen-year-old self, Reborn had taken a look at the teen's hands. He knew the chances were next to zero but he had still been disappointed when he saw no Vongola ring in sight. Hiko would never make a Bovino, much less someone like Lambo, a Guardian, but Tsuna might. There was no ring though, so either Tsuna had become Vongola Decimo and picked a different Lightning Guardian (which wasn't likely), or Hiko had become Vongola Decimo (which was far more likely).

And the cow had also accused Reborn of making the wrong choice. It looked like Lambo had learned some subtlety in the future because he was sure the Bovino had also been trying to give him a hint; to make the _right_ choice this time. What that right choice was, Reborn didn't know.

The cow had been cryptic enough to annoy even Reborn but he understood the delicate concept of time travel.

_"You're going to be fine this time."_

That had troubled Reborn more than anything else. The cow had mentioned 'we' so Reborn assumed Yamamoto and Gokudera and whoever else Tsuna would eventually befriend were still alive but what were they playing at to make _this time_ different from _their time_? Messing with time wasn't wise so the future must've become pretty bad. Reborn could only hope they knew what they were doing.

* * *

By the time Tsuna got home, Hayato and Takeshi behind him and Lambo, having fallen asleep a few hours ago and smuggled into class for the afternoon, in his arms, the house was in an uproar and Tsuna could hear his brother shouting something upstairs.

Hayato groaned. "Someone shut that kid up. He's worse than the stupid cow!"

"Tsuna," Reborn appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "If you're keeping the cow, he's staying in your room. Hiko has a new tutor who will be staying in the guestroom."

Tsuna blinked but nodded. He didn't like the idea of Lambo sleeping all alone with Hiko in the house anyway.

"New tutor?" Hayato echoed, scowling. "Reborn-san, he doesn't need another one."

Tsuna caught the beginnings of a smirk on Reborn's face before the hitman turned away.

"I asked her to come," He announced as he led the way upstairs. "She was my fourth lover. She'll be good for him."

Tsuna traded looks with Hayato and Takeshi. A part of him had always known that Reborn wasn't really just a genius two-year-old and he supposed this sort of proved a little of that.

Once they reached the upper landing, he did a double-take when a beautiful woman with long claret hair and green eyes that reminded him of Hayato's appeared from Hiko's bedroom.

Beside him, Hayato released a terrified gasp and Tsuna turned just in time to see the bomber collapse, his face pale.

"Gokudera, are you alright?" Takeshi leaned over as Tsuna shifted Lambo and crouched down, placing a hand on the fallen teen's shoulder.

"He'll be fine," The woman said airily. "It's been a while, Hayato."

Tsuna looked between the two as Reborn stepped in with an explanation.

"This is Bianchi, also known as Poison Scorpion Bianchi," Reborn introduced. "She specializes in Poison Cooking. Hayato is her younger half-brother."

Bianchi waved, eyes flickering first to Takeshi before settling on Tsuna. Warily, Tsuna tightened his grip on Hayato. Fainting at the sight of your sibling wasn't normal, was it?

"Hmm," Bianchi took a step forward and Tsuna instinctively shifted back a step, almost dragging Hayato along with him.

The woman laughed softly. "I see what you mean, Reborn. They're completely different. Don't worry," She added to Tsuna. "There was a bad case of food poisoning several years back and Hayato hasn't been able to look at me properly without getting sick ever since."

Tsuna looked back at Hayato who nodded weakly through a grimace and Tsuna relaxed enough to let go. Rising to his feet, he sketched a bow and glanced at the guestroom with a questioning look.

It took a moment for the woman to understand but she nodded with a curious smile once she did. "I've settled in, thank you. You've certainly got more manners than your twin."

As if called, Hiko stumbled out into the hall, hair smoking from whatever Reborn had planted in his room.

"Reborn!" He shouted, pointing at Bianchi. "You still haven't told me what she's doing here! She tried to poison me earlier!"

Bianchi's eyes shot daggers at the boy before she turned a blushing smile onto Reborn. "I'm here for love."

Reborn didn't blink as he followed up with, "She's here for work."

"Reborn needs me," Bianchi sighed dreamily.

"Bianchi will be in charge of part of your training," Reborn finished calmly.

Tsuna stared dubiously at the two. _I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that the relationship didn't work out due to communication problems._

Then he had to duck when one of Reborn's bullets whistled over his head.

"I heard that," Reborn told him with a raised eyebrow as if Tsuna had spoken aloud. He supposed he might as well have; reading minds seemed to be the tutor's specialty. "Don't start getting cheeky."

Tsuna only scoffed inwardly. Reborn didn't _sound_ unhappy about it at all. If anything, the hitman looked pleased.

"She's going to be my tutor?" Hiko interrupted loudly. "I don't want her here."

"That's too bad," Reborn said. "She'll be teaching you home economics and art."

"Why would I even need to know that?" Hiko demanded.

Art auctions and undercover spy work automatically popped into Tsuna's head. Mafia people went to art exhibits and other social events, so they'd have to know what they were talking about. And they might need to infiltrate places as cooks and whatnot, didn't they?

He thought he caught a strange mixed look of approval and almost-regret from Reborn but the hitman turned away before he could be sure.

With a shrug, Tsuna looked over at Takeshi who nodded and they hauled Hayato to his feet and helped him into Tsuna's room. He would leave Hiko to it. He knew Reborn well enough now to see that his twin's protests would be futile.

* * *

"Tsuna-nii?" Lambo whispered into the dark. There was no response at first but he had gotten used to it. Tsuna-nii didn't really like to talk much.

He heard a rustle of blankets and then worried dark eyes blinked down at him.

"Lambo-san can't sleep," Lambo admitted.

Tsuna-nii studied him for a moment before lifting him out of the hammock Mamma had set up. He snuggled into Tsuna-nii's arms without complaint as they returned to the bed and crawled under the blankets.

Lambo had a distant memory of his own mother cuddling him at night, reading him a story before tucking him in and not leaving until he had fallen asleep. She had gone away though – _gone to join the stars, _his papà had told him – and Lambo had had no one to read him stories to or tuck him in anymore. His father didn't do that sort of thing and Lambo was more trouble to him than anything else. Papà had told him he would be proud if Lambo killed Reborn though, so Lambo had searched and searched and finally found where Reborn had gone. But Reborn was too strong at the moment; Lambo would have to train more.

"Do you want a story, Lambo?" A soft voice asked in his ear.

Lambo blinked in surprise. Tsuna-nii usually talked as little as possible. Normally, he would say how talented he was that he was able to get Tsuna-nii to talk without having to ask but it was night time and Lambo didn't really like the dark, so he just nodded and squirmed closer to Tsuna-nii's chest.

Tsuna-nii's voice was very nice, Lambo decided as he listened. Warm and soft; a bit like his mother's. He soon found his eyes growing heavier though, and somewhere between Knight Lambo journeying through the dangerous forest with his Tsuna-nii and saving Aho-dera and Yamamoto from the mean Dragon Reborn, Lambo drifted off, tucked securely within his brother's arms.

* * *

Five days after she had become Hiko's tutor, Bianchi was ready to tear her hair out.

"I thought the whole 'heir and a spare' concept meant that the eldest would be the heir and the leftover would be the spare," She commented without remorse to Reborn as they sat on the couch and watched through the doorway as Hiko attempted to cook... something.

Reborn sipped at his cappuccino before glancing at her. "You know that doesn't apply in this case. Hiko was the last option after the first three sons died and the fourth went missing. It was Iemitsu's decision."

Bianchi didn't say anything immediately. She was afraid 'Iemitsu is an idiot' would pop out if she opened her mouth.

"I agree," Reborn replied anyway. "But it's the Nono's orders."

"Even though he'll ruin Vongola?" Bianchi challenged, meeting Reborn's sharp gaze evenly. "He treats my brother like dirt, Reborn. Even worse, he treats his own brother like dirt. I don't care how strong he becomes; I'm never going to respect him."

Bianchi had a feeling Reborn agreed with her but the hitman remained quiet as they both turned back to observe the ominous smoke now starting to rise from the stove. It wasn't even purple smoke. Two days in, she had resigned herself to the fact that all the cooking talent in the family had gone to Tsuna and had attempted to teach him her Poison Cooking instead. So far, it had been an immense failure. She supposed Hiko's only hope now would be to choke someone inside the kitchen with all that smog.

"What exactly is he good at?" Bianchi enquired.

Reborn sighed. "He can be charming when he wants to be; you just haven't seen him interact with anyone outside of Tsuna and his friends. He's a natural at sports and he's picked up some street-fighting. I suppose he can be stubborn too, though not exactly for all the right reasons."

Muffled voices reached their ears from the open window and they both turned towards the front door as it swung open.

Bianchi immediately brightened as Tsuna half-walked, half-tripped through the door. She had no grudge against this one, especially after seeing her brother so happy in the older twin's presence.

"Welcome home," She greeted, automatically keeping her voice low so she wouldn't attract Hiko's attention. Less than a week in this household and she had already learned all the rules, the first and most important being: keep the twins apart.

Tsuna dipped his head, closing the door behind him before holding out a bento box. Bianchi blinked, untying the cloth and pulling the lid off to look inside.

"Sushi?" Bianchi studied the food more closely. She had gone to the local sushi bar a few days back and confirmed the fact that Yamamoto Tsuyoshi was a brilliant sushi chef. These rolls were more clumsily made though, not the hands of an expert.

Realization dawned on her when she glanced up and caught sight of Tsuna's red face. "Ah, you made these? Did Yamamoto-san teach you?"

Tsuna nodded, turning even redder when Bianchi picked up one of the rolls, chewing thoughtfully. "Hmm, for a beginner, this is pretty good. You'll have to make it look nicer, but with more practice, I'm sure you'll be able to add sushi to your menu."

Tsuna almost smiled at her, the slight twitch at the corner of his lips giving him away, but the motion was stifled and he nodded once more in thanks instead.

Bianchi just ruffled his hair before whirling to face Reborn, already glowing at the thought of sharing a bento box with the hitman. Tsuna was such a good kid.

Right before she could open her mouth, Hiko shouted from the kitchen, "I did what you told me to! Can I stop now?"

Three things happened simultaneously: Tsuna sped past them and up the stairs, Reborn put down his coffee as Leon transformed into a gun, and Bianchi swore she would double her efforts to off the so-called Vongola Decimo.

* * *

***Ten Years in the Future***

"You saw Tsuna? How was he? I remember he didn't talk much. When was it? Was I there?"

"Yes. Fine. The day I first met him. Yes."

"Damn cow! Why the hell can't your younger self do anything right? The least you could do is make sure that damn bazooka lands on me! I want to see him!"

"Gokudera-shi, I was _five_."

"Is that supposed to be an excuse?"

"Maa, maa, it's alright. At least one of us got to go back for a bit."

"...Reborn was there too."

"Yeah? Did you give him a good punch in the face?"

"Huh, so it isn't just me. But no. I did tell him I blamed him for all this."

"To be fair, it isn't all the kid's fault. _He_ did a lot of damage."

"That is putting it EXTREMELY mildly!"

"Oh, you're back, Ryohei. How is it?"

"Still safe. Kyouya's security system is tight to the extreme."

"Well, it wouldn't be Kyouya's work if it wasn't. Any word from Mukuro?"

"None. Chrome's getting worried, but she made him promise to contact her if he was really in trouble."

"Che, that bastard is practically immortal. She's got nothing to worry about."

"But you're worried too, Hayato."

"Shut up, sword freak! I've got more important things to worry about than him!"

"Yare, yare, calm down, Gokudera-shi. You've been pulling all-nighters again, haven't you?"

"That is extremely bad for your health! I volunteer to do the paperwork!"

"Turf Top, the day I let you do paperwork is the day I go insane. You just give me double the workload when you get it back to me. And unlike you idiots, I'm actually the one planning all this. I can sleep when I'm dead. ...Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"Don't say that, Hayato, you'll jinx us. The whole point of this is so we can all live."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't nag. I'll get a few winks later. What about the Varia? Did you manage to get through?"

"Yeah. They already know what we're up to, more or less. Apparently, Mukuro dropped a word to that apprentice of his and he told the rest of the Varia."

"What'd they say about all of us committing treason?"

"'About time'. And a few other things that were extremely unpleasant to hear. But they said they'll handle things in Italy."

"Good. We'll take that fucker down yet. Now, I need to meet with Irie in a few hours to see how the machine is going. Takeshi, Lambo, get back on patrol. Keep a line open. Ryohei, I need you to try contacting Dino again. They can't all be dead."

"Got it." "Understood." "Right."

"Okay then. We've got a few months to get everything ready. And then this war will really start."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Haru**


	5. Unexpected Help and a Coward's Resolve

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

**-Don't want to reveal too much so I won't confirm who's boss or who's on what side in the future.**

**-Some of you have got the general idea of what will happen in the future but I won't confirm that either. You'll just have to wait:)**

**-I'll keep putting small excerpts of the future at the end of each chapter but it won't be anything specific.**

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Unexpected Help and a Coward's Resolve**

"Hey, you're kinda cute," Hiko cut in after listening to the girl gush about Reborn like he was a normal baby.

The girl's face flamed red as she stopped mid-word and Hiko smirked. He could make Kyoko jealous if he went out with another girl.

"I'm Sawada Hiko. What's your name?" Hiko asked, a winning smile making its way onto his face.

"H- Hahi!" She squeaked. "U- Um, Miura Haru," Still blushing, she glanced shyly back over at Reborn. "Y- You have a very cute little brother."

Hiko kept his irritation hidden. The girl was more interested in a child than him. "Yeah, I suppose," He said offhandedly.

He did a double-take when Reborn reached up for Leon, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"I'm not his little brother," The hitman said calmly, his chameleon transforming into a gun. "I'm his tutor and a hitman."

Hiko gaped. "What are you-" He cut himself off and caught the hand suddenly swinging at his face.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" He snapped, any patience for the girl evaporating on the spot.

For her part, the girl, Haru, was glaring angrily at him, not seeming to notice that he could break her wrist at a moment's notice.

"You're horrible!" She yelled. "What are you teaching the poor baby? Babies are angelic, with hearts of purest white!"

Hiko sneered, tightening his grip on the girl's wrist. "What the hell are you talking about? I haven't taught Reborn anything."

He glanced sidelong at his tutor who was watching them with unreadable eyes. He'd been getting the feeling that Reborn was really displeased with his actions lately, and since he would have to impress the hitman if he wanted a leg up to becoming Vongola Decimo, he supposed he should curb his reactions a little.

With a huff, Hiko released the girl and stepped back. "Look," He said flatly. "What Reborn does is his own business. He's _my_ tutor, not the other way around. Don't let his looks fool you."

Haru just scowled at him, rubbing her wrist. "As if Haru would believe that. You're just a bully."

Hiko's eyes narrowed and he took a threatening step forward, satisfied when the girl retreated a little. "I'm not a bully. Don't make accusations without-"

An irksome laugh interrupted him, grating against his ears.

"Ahahahaha! Lambo-san has appeared! Reborn, brace yourself!"

Hiko turned in time to see his idiot brother's new charge swing towards them, two of those grenades the cow always carried around in its hands. He snorted when the baby's grasp on the rope faltered before it fell off completely, and then scoffed loudly when his twin dashed around a corner and dove forward, catching the cow before it could hit the ground.

"Tsuna-sama, are you alright?" The bomber called, running up behind Hiko's brother.

Dame-Tsuna nodded, letting Gokudera give him a hand up. The bomber turned a scowl on the Bovino instead.

"Stupid cow! Why are you always giving Tsuna-sama trouble?"

The cow stuck out its tongue. "Aho-dera's just jealous because he's not as good as Lambo-san!"

Hiko cut in before the situation could get any more ridiculous. "Bringing the cow to school again, Dame-Tsuna?"

He was instantly on the receiving end of the bomber's glare and he did his best to stare back condescendingly. If he was honest, he was always slightly wary of Gokudera. There was something in those eyes that said he wasn't above murder and Hiko was at the top of the bomber's list.

"Lambo-san is going to school to protect Tsuna-nii!" The cow piped up. "Lambo-san is the best hitman in the world so Tsuna-nii will be safe with him!"

Before Hiko could react to this, Haru stormed past him, eyes flashing, and she slapped Dame-Tsuna across the face.

Hiko blinked and then smirked. He might like this girl after all.

"What the hell, bitch?!" Gokudera roared, whipping out his dynamite as he roughly shoved her back. But before he could hurl them, Dame-Tsuna clamped a hand around the bomber's wrist, successfully halting his movements.

"Tsuna-sama?" Gokudera glanced back, jaw clenching when his twin shook his head but obediently putting his dynamite away.

Hiko rolled his eyes. The bomber was so whipped.

"You must be his brother!" Haru screeched, jabbing an accusing finger at Dame-Tsuna. "You're teaching babies bad things too! I can't believe the abuse you put them through! You're so cruel!"

Dame-Tsuna flinched, shoulders rounding as if it would shield him from the girl's wrath. Gokudera growled and glared down at her with intense dislike but before he could retort, the cow spoke up, its voice pitched with childish outrage.

"Tsuna-nii's not cruel!" The baby spat out. "How dare you hurt Tsuna-nii! Lambo-san will make you pay!"

With that said, another grenade was produced, but once again, Dame-Tsuna put a stop to it, gently plucking the weapon from the cow's hands.

"Tsuna-nii!" The cow glanced indignantly up at Dame-Tsuna. "She has to pay!"

Dame-Tsuna raised an eyebrow and the cow huffed, crossing his arms.

"She hit you!" It persisted sulkily.

Dame-Tsuna shook his head, frowning sternly at the cow.

The Bovino drooped. "No using weapons against defenceless people. Lambo-san remembers."

Dame-Tsuna nodded, stuffing the grenade back into the cow's hair before turning his attention on Haru.

The girl looked a little uncertain now but she regained her footing and plastered on a dopey smile for the kid. "You're really cute! Don't worry; Haru will protect you from your brother."

The cow scowled darkly at the girl. "Lambo-san is not cute, and he doesn't need protection, especially from Tsuna-nii. Go away, crazy meanie!"

Gokudera snorted at the flabbergasted look on Haru's face. "I hate to say this but I agree with the stupid cow. Come on, Tsuna-sama, we'll be late for school if we don't go now."

Hiko couldn't hold back a last taunting jeer as Dame-Tsuna nodded and stepped around the girl, giving her a wide berth. "Scared of a girl, Dame-Tsuna? Only you would be weak enough to let someone hit you without doing anything about it."

His twin just avoided his gaze, irritating him even further as Gokudera shot him a dirty look but didn't bother insulting him back.

"Che," Hiko shouldered his bag and glanced dismissively at the girl. "Hey, don't try to attack me again. I won't go easy on you next time."

* * *

Haru didn't know what to make of the pair of twins. They were clearly teaching the babies evil things, but the first twin, Hiko, gave her the creeps. The second twin (did his own brother call him Dame-Tsuna?) looked almost like the first but he seemed more frightened of her than anything else. Not to mention both the fierce-looking grey-haired teen and the cute baby in his arms had defended him. The baby had even called her a crazy meanie!

She blinked out of her thoughts when someone cleared their throat and she turned to find the other baby, Reborn, staring at her. She smiled tentatively at him; he didn't seem particularly friendly either.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't go around hitting people without cause," Reborn said mildly. "Especially when they don't deserve it."

"Hahi! They're teaching you and the other baby bad things!" Haru said anxiously. "They definitely deserve it."

Reborn's face was still as cute as ever but Haru stiffened instinctively as something flashed in his black eyes for a split second.

"Not Tsuna," The baby said adamantly. "Don't hit him again."

And before Haru could blink, Reborn had turned and leapt out of sight.

* * *

Reborn watched with shadowed eyes as Yamamoto swung an arm around Tsuna's shoulders, only for the brunet to jerk and pull away before he remembered who it was.

He had suspected it for a while but it had never been as clear as it was now. Before Gokudera had shown up and chased all his bullies away, Tsuna would've been defenceless, and bullies often got bored with just taking lunches and belongings. They would've eventually resorted to violence.

It wasn't too serious, Reborn decided as he watched Tsuna slowly relax again, the tension wiring his body since this morning slowly dissipating. Still, he should've stopped the girl before she had lashed out at Tsuna, but he hadn't been expecting the older twin on the scene, and then he had expected Gokudera to defend him if need be. He had forgotten that the bomber usually labeled Hiko as the biggest threat whenever his student was in Tsuna's vicinity and didn't pay too much attention to anything else.

"Hey kid," Yamamoto greeted. He had come over to Reborn's side as Tsuna and Gokudera chased Lambo around, trying to get him off the school gates he was climbing on.

Reborn nodded, already knowing what the baseball player wanted.

"So what happened this morning?" Yamamoto enquired lightly. "I was at baseball practice so I couldn't walk with Tsuna to school."

"They bumped into Hiko," Reborn said truthfully.

Yamamoto's smile sharpened. "Tsuna wouldn't let me touch him when he came to class earlier. I was going to clap him on the shoulder like I always do and he flinched away from me. And there was a bruise on his face," Any humour in his eyes drained away. "Did Hiko hit him?"

Reborn knew if he lied and said yes, the baseball player wouldn't hesitate to teach Hiko a lesson, even if Tsuna told him not to, and it was with startling regret that he said no.

"There was a misunderstanding with a girl," Reborn explained. "It's been cleared up."

Well actually, no it hadn't. Reborn jumped to the ground. "Have another sleepover soon," He suggested over his shoulder as he left to find his student.

Judging by what Hiko had said, the brat wasn't above hitting girls. When Reborn had spotted Haru following them a few weeks back, he had given his student the benefit of the doubt, believing that the girl would be a good test for him. Now Reborn had to think of a way to resolve the entire situation peacefully, preferably before Haru pushed Hiko too far.

It was times like these when he wished he had never agreed to the Nono's request.

* * *

Tsuna watched worriedly as that strange girl from yesterday morning tailed his brother around, still demanding he stop influencing Reborn. It was only the presence of other students around him that Hiko hadn't yet lashed out, thought Tsuna could tell that his twin was on his last nerve, eyeing the girl with growing anger.

"He's a real bastard. Even I don't treat girls like that."

Tsuna jumped and backed away as he turned and found Mochida Kensuke standing beside him. The kendo captain snorted, rolling his eyes at him.

"Relax," The teen said with some annoyance. "As if I can do anything to you with your bodyguards hovering over you all day."

He jabbed a finger over his shoulder and Tsuna followed it to where Takeshi was practicing his swings. Tsuna knew his friend well enough though to know that he was well aware of where Tsuna was. It was lucky Hayato was in detention at the moment. Tsuna knew the bomber wouldn't have hesitated to throw his dynamite at Mochida.

Turning back to Mochida, Tsuna remained wary. The kendo captain had been one of the ones who had once picked on him, though not regularly and only when Tsuna bumped into him outside of school.

"Can't you do anything about it?" Mochida now said, glancing back at where Hiko was attempting to ignore the girl. "You're his older brother, aren't you?"

Tsuna gave him a guarded but bewildered look. As far as he knew, Mochida hated him, just like almost everyone else. Why was he talking to him now?

Mochida seemed to pick up some of his misgivings because the older student eyed him with distaste.

"Don't worry; I still don't like you," Mochida assured derisively. "But he's being a creep to Kyoko, stalking her everywhere, and unfortunately, he's stronger than me, especially when he does that crazy shit and fight in his boxers. So I've stooped to asking you. If you can't keep your own brother under control, can't you at least get your mom to do something about it?"

Tsuna dropped his gaze and shrugged helplessly. His mother could scold Hiko all she wanted (which wouldn't be more than a gentle reprimand), but she couldn't control what his twin did outside of the house. Most of the time, she couldn't even control what he did inside.

"You know, this is why I've never liked you," Mochida said from somewhere above him. "You're such a spineless wimp, and when it comes to your brother, you don't even try. You just let him walk all over you. I know people can be weak, but it's hard to believe _anyone_ can be as weak as you. How you managed to get people like Yamamoto and Gokudera on your side is beyond me. Probably bribed them or something."

Tsuna's head shot up at this, mouth opening to snap something back - as if either of his friends would ever take bribes from anyone - as his hands involuntarily curled into fists but Mochida had already turned away, dismissing him like he always did.

It shouldn't upset him so much. Mochida had insulted him before but back then, he had never had friends for the kendo captain to taunt. Was that the difference? Mochida had dragged Takeshi and Hayato into their confrontation, and instead of the hurt resignation that always followed each slight, he had felt anger. No, not quite anger; just an overwhelming need to... protect?

"Tsuna, are you okay?"

Tsuna watched Takeshi approach, a slight frown on his face as his eyes followed Mochida. Takeshi protected him, as did Hayato, but what had Tsuna done to protect them? He couldn't even defend them against Mochida's accusations.

"I'm fine," Tsuna mumbled hollowly and turned away from Takeshi's piercing gaze. He looked back at Hiko instead, watching his twin sneer at the girl.

His friends didn't mind that he didn't talk, that he avoided conflict like the plague, and they were always willing to step in for him. Tsuna was grateful for that, but was he happy about it? He was weak, he knew that, and he didn't mind being a coward when the only one he had had to look out for was himself. But he had Takeshi and Hayato now; being a coward when he had friends to protect was... unforgiveable.

And for the first time in his life, Tsuna didn't just regret being so weak, always being so scared. He hated it.

* * *

"-and she followed me everywhere! I mean doesn't she have school? I should've made it clearer yesterday that she shouldn't mess with me. If she shows up again, I'll make sure she doesn't dare show her face around me ever again."

Tsuna gripped his chopsticks in his hands, heart thudding as he listened to Hiko complain about his day as they ate their dinner. Strangely enough, Mochida's words hadn't stopped ringing in his ears and Tsuna had to start somewhere, didn't he? It might as well be the latest problem his brother had caused.

"A scare is all she needs before she'll back off," Hiko was saying confidently. "I'll get someone to rough her up a bit outside of school-"

"Leave her alone."

Tsuna's voice had been barely above a whisper but dead silence descended on the table in the blink of an eye. Somewhere in the back of his mind, detached from his racing heartbeat and shaking hands, he remembered that his mother hadn't heard him talk in over a year and his brother even longer. And as far as he knew, Reborn hadn't ever been in the same room when he had spoken, and neither had Bianchi. While Lambo had, it was definitely not in front of his family.

"What did you say?" Hiko asked, a warning edging his voice and making Tsuna feel like he couldn't breathe. But he had to do this. If not now, when? If not here, where? Now that he thought about it, his own brother had always been the one thing Tsuna was most afraid of, more than the bullies, more than school, more than life.

"I- I said," Tsuna tried to keep the quaver out of his voice as he stared at Hiko's chin. "I said, leave her alone."

His hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white and his nails dug painfully into his palms, but that was a good thing. It helped center him somewhat.

"Sh- She's a girl," Tsuna continued, mouth dry. "A- And she d- doesn't even know how t- to fight. H- Hurting her is wrong."

Another long silence followed, tension so thick Tsuna could probably take a knife and cut it.

And then Hiko began to laugh, mocking and scornful, and Tsuna heard a chair being scraped back as his brother rose to his feet.

"Tell me that when you can actually look at me, Dame-Tsuna," Hiko scoffed, turning to leave.

Tsuna began to feel the first wave of defeat that always came after an altercation with his brother. Well, at least he had tried this time-

_"Probably bribed them or something."_

No. No, no, _no_.

Those words popped into his mind again and Tsuna had no idea why. They were two different situations and Mochida had meant them as an insult to him, not Takeshi and Hayato, but all Tsuna could think of was that he hadn't been able to defend the only friends he had, and if he couldn't even defend a girl he barely knew, then what hope did he have when it came to his friends?

Without thinking, without _letting_ himself think and talk himself out of it, Tsuna shot to his feet as well, chair skidding backwards and falling over as he threw himself forward, leaning across the table to grab Hiko's wrist before his twin could move away. His elbow smashed against a dish and it skittered off the table, shattering on the ground.

Everything seemed to slow around him and, miraculously, his head seemed to clear, the panic driven out of his mind as a familiar-foreign warmth curled in his chest and a funny but reassuring heat rose inside him, calming his heart and steadying his resolve.

He looked up, staring his shocked-looking twin in the eye as he repeated quietly, "Leave her alone. Promise me you'll leave her alone."

A flicker of fear darted through Hiko's eyes before it disappeared but Tsuna saw it as clear as day.

"I'll do what I want to the girl. Don't touch me!" Hiko snarled, his body turning sharply to face Tsuna.

_Left_, the heat whispered, and instinctively, Tsuna shifted to the left just as a fist came flying at his head, missing him by mere inches.

_Pull to the right,_ the heat urged. _He's off-balance._

Tsuna pulled, yanking Hiko sideways and sending his twin staggering to the right. Hiko tripped over a leg of his chair and his free arm flailed wildly to try to maintain his equilibrium.

_Let go_, the heat said smugly. _He'll fall._

Tsuna let go, and as Hiko crashed to the ground with a shout, the heat sang in his chest, ready and waiting for Tsuna to call on it again.

He had never felt this at peace before. There were still emotions swimming inside him; concern for his brother, anger on behalf of the girl, but he had them under control and he was no longer overpowered with fear for himself. He had something other than himself to protect now; being a coward was no longer an option.

"Leave her alone," Tsuna said a final time, his voice still soft but filled with that heat that blazed but didn't burn as he stared over the table at his brother currently sprawled on the kitchen floor. "If she won't stop following you around, then I'll explain the situation to her. Just don't hurt her. She hasn't done anything to you."

He paused, remembering the entire reason Mochida had talked to him in the first place.

"And stop following Sasagawa-san around," He added sternly, gaze locking onto his twin's and refusing to let him look away. "Enough's enough. Show some respect for other people."

Hiko stared up at him, resentment and something very close to hatred as well as a healthy amount of fear staining his expression.

"Whatever," He finally spat out, pushing himself to his feet again. "Just make sure the bitch stops bothering me. And Kyoko's not worth my effort anyway."

And with that said, Hiko stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs, the distant sound of a door slamming shut echoing around the house ending their exchange.

In the following silence, Tsuna felt the heat ebb and the warmth – still settled contentedly around his heart – fade to a simmer in his chest. His gaze lowered and he blinked in surprise when he found his free hand still curled around his chopsticks. As he lowered them back onto the table, he only had enough time to catch a glimpse of his mother's oddly proud face and Reborn's equally stunned expression before a wave of vertigo washed over him. He thought he saw Bianchi gaping at him and Lambo was strangely silent, but darkness soon closed over him and he knew no more.

* * *

Reborn didn't sleep that night. He couldn't. His mind kept him awake, replaying the scene at dinner over and over again.

For all his experience and knowledge, what Tsuna had done hadn't even made it onto his list of expectations for the boy. He hadn't expected Tsuna to talk in front of them and he hadn't expected the teen to confront Hiko directly, but most of all, he hadn't expected the copper orange that had shone in previously brown eyes and the dying will flame that had ignited on Tsuna's head like a glowing beacon.

Tsuna was definitely physically weaker than Hiko and he didn't know how to fight, nor had he resorted to aggression during the disagreement with his twin, but simply by using Hiko's momentum against him, Tsuna had floored the brat with enviable ease.

And Reborn knew it had been the Vongola Hyper Intuition guiding Tsuna's movements.

Hiko had quailed and submitted under his brother's formidable resolve, and right before Tsuna had fainted from exhaustion, Reborn had caught his gaze.

The potential he had found there had been blinding.

Leon had leapt off his fedora of his own accord, transforming into a stretcher under Tsuna before the teen could hit the ground. And before Reborn could ask, Bianchi had risen to her feet and scooped the boy up, willingly carrying him upstairs into his bedroom. Hours later, when she had turned in for the night, the muted awe still hadn't disappeared.

Reborn hadn't ever wanted to teach someone as much as he wanted to teach Sawada Tsunayoshi, but all he could do now was curse Iemitsu to hell and back. How could the fool make such a mistake? Weak? Lacking in potential? A failure all-around? Where the hell was the man getting his information from?

Reborn should write to the Nono. He should tell him, straight out, that Tsuna was the one who was most suitable to take up the mantle of Vongola Decimo, that Hiko didn't have a tenth of the potential his twin had.

But then what?

Iemitsu would throw a fit. Takehiko was the blond's darling son; Tsuna was just the shadow, easily dismissed and forgotten.

In the best case scenario, Timoteo would want proof at the very least, and when he got it (because Reborn was certain the Nono would see what Reborn saw), the boss would most likely insist on moving Tsuna to Italy, appointing him other tutors and maybe even teaching the boy himself. Reborn wouldn't be allowed because his contract with the Nono regarding Hiko would be broken and Timoteo would probably see this as a failure on Reborn's part. A broken promise to a mafia boss was not taken lightly; it was almost equivalent to an outright betrayal of trust, and the Nono would never let Reborn anywhere near Tsuna again.

Reborn was a selfish man through and through; he could admit that he didn't want anyone teaching Tsuna with the exception of himself.

But Hiko clearly wasn't the right choice. Even if the Nono banned him from Tsuna's side, shouldn't he inform him anyway? The Vongola was heading to its doom otherwise.

"_You made the wrong damn choice and it cost us everything."_

The cow's words jumped to the forefront of his mind. Was this the choice Reborn was supposed to make? Or was it something else later on, something even more important?

No, Reborn was fairly certain that this wasn't the choice the cow had been talking about. In the end, this choice was on the Nono's head, not Reborn's. The Bovino had been very clear in his meaning; Reborn had been the one solely or almost entirely responsible for whatever had taken place.

So what the hell was he supposed to do now? It didn't take a genius to realize that Tsuna would never be happy in Italy, growing up around Mafioso, and even with Gokudera and perhaps Yamamoto, living smack in the middle of the darkness that Reborn hoped Tsuna could one day disperse would break the teen.

And while he would never admit it out loud, Tsuna had grown on him. Reborn didn't want anything to happen to him and he had a feeling Gokudera and Yamamoto would sooner smuggle the brunet out of Japan before handing him over to the Vongola.

With a frustrated sigh, Reborn removed his fedora and tilted his head against the couch. He had never been so undecided in his entire life.

* * *

When Tsuna woke up, the first things he saw were his friends, sitting side by side in his room with their books on their laps as they huddled by his bed.

"Tsuna-sama!" Hayato looked overjoyed when he noticed Tsuna staring blearily at them. "You're awake!"

"Tsuna," Takeshi was more contained but no less relieved as he leaned forward, carelessly dropping his schoolbooks onto the ground. "How do you feel?"

Tsuna stirred, trying to sit up, but is limbs felt heavy and clumsy. "Umm, tired."

"You shouldn't try to sit up yet, Tsuna-sama," Hayato said, pushing him back down with embarrassing ease. "You've been sick for three days."

_Three days?_ "Three days?" Tsuna croaked out, wide-eyed. He had been sick?

"Reborn-san told us you fell sick," Hayato explained, worry and fatigue creasing his forehead. "And you got really cold and then really hot before getting back to normal again."

Tsuna blinked, trying to sort out his memories. He hadn't been sick, he recalled, features paling as his confrontation with Hiko rushed back. He had challenged his brother. More importantly, he had challenged his brother and won.

"Tsuna?" Takeshi was studying him anxiously. "Should we call a doctor? The kid said you would be fine but-"

"I'm fine," Tsuna interjected quickly. "Really. Just a bit tired, that's all."

His friends still looked somewhat uncertain, but now that he was forming coherent words, they're expressions visibly relaxed.

Tsuna swallowed and Hayato hastily handed him a glass of water, ignoring the brunet's half-hearted protests and helping him drink.

"Where's Hiko?" Tsuna asked once he finished.

Hayato's expression darkened and Takeshi's mouth twisted a little.

"He tried to haul you out of bed when you wouldn't wake up for school the first day," Takeshi revealed. "Ranting something about you not being much and still being weak even with your dying will. The kid came in firing his toy gun. He told us to keep an eye on you, excused us from school, and we haven't seen either of them since."

Tsuna felt a brief flash of worry. Reborn was a hitman. The tutor hadn't finally snapped and killed Hiko, had he?

"Nee-san's been helpful," Hayato admitted grudgingly. "She kept your temperature down when you were feverish and piled blankets on you when you were near-freezing."

Tsuna nodded. He would have to thank Bianchi later.

"Tsuna, what happened?" Takeshi asked, eyeing him intently. "Hiko seemed a lot worse than usual, and, well, I've never seen a sickness like yours before."

Tsuna shrugged. He honestly didn't know. He remembered the comforting warmth in his chest and the fierce heat that had aided him when he had needed it but he had no idea why he had gotten sick.

"Finally awake?"

Tsuna, along with Hayato and Takeshi, twisted around to face the window. Standing on the windowsill was Reborn, fedora tilted up and black eyes focused solely on Tsuna.

Tsuna nodded slowly, frowning when he didn't hear the front door opening. Where was Hiko?

"Going through my self-made training-from-hell obstacle course," Reborn answered him, jumping down from the window and making his way over to Tsuna's bed. "The cow and Bianchi are out with Mamma."

The hitman landed on beside Tsuna's head and a tiny hand touched his forehead. Tsuna unconsciously stiffened and he felt the hand rise, hovering over him as Reborn waited for him to make up his mind.

Tsuna hesitated and then settled, relaxing as Reborn felt his forehead again.

"Hmm, almost back to normal," Reborn nodded, looking satisfied as he sat down on the bed.

"Reborn-san, what was wrong with Tsuna-sama?" Hayato questioned apprehensively.

Reborn tilted his fedora down and didn't respond for a long moment.

"He went into Hyper Dying Will Mode when he confronted Hiko yesterday," Reborn said at last before glancing sharply at Tsuna as Hayato and Takeshi exchanged surprised but highly pleased looks on the side. "Tsuna, you've seen me shoot your brother with Dying Will bullets."

It wasn't a question but Tsuna nodded anyway.

"It's a special weapon created by the Vongola Family," He started.

"Wait, what's the Vongola Family?" Takeshi cut in, looking confused.

Everyone paused and then Hayato reluctantly gave an overview of the mafia. Several minutes later, Takeshi nodded and commented on how interesting the mafia game sounded. Hayato face-palmed and Tsuna sighed but they all seemed to want to hear Reborn's explanation so neither of them tried to correct him.

"Once it makes contact with a person, they die," Reborn continued. "If they feel regret when they were shot, they are reborn with a flame on their forehead and are capable of feats they wouldn't normally be able to do."

"Like the clone running up the side of buildings!" Hayato grimaced at the memory.

Reborn nodded. "That's Hiko in Dying Will Mode. Hyper Dying Will Mode is taking it a step further. With the help of the bullet, Dying Will Mode only lasts five minutes. Hyper Dying Will Mode is a calmer and more stamina-based version of Dying Will Mode. For one, the user keeps all their clothes and is able to fight calmly instead of using all of their dying will at once. More importantly, someone carrying Vongola blood will have their Vongola Hyper Intuition, a power that can see through all, awakened."

Here, Reborn paused, turning to stare at Tsuna again. "That's what happened to you. But it shouldn't have been possible."

Tsuna blinked. _Why?_

Reborn released a short sigh. "Tsuna, you bypassed Dying Will Mode completely and jumped straight to Hyper Dying Will Mode without bullets or Dying Will Pills. It's unheard of. Only Vongola Primo could activate his Dying Will flames without help from the very beginning. All the other bosses went through vigorous training before they had enough experience to activate their flames at will. Your brother certainly can't."

"No surprise there," Hayato said staunchly. "And it just means Tsuna-sama's better than all of them."

"Wrong," Reborn said almost harshly. "Just because he can doesn't mean he should. Why do you think he got sick? He doesn't have any training and going into Hyper Dying Will Mode strained his body beyond its limits."

Hayato looked properly chastised but Takeshi leaned forward.

"Well you can train him then," He suggested. "You're training Hiko, aren't you? You can train Tsuna too since he already knows how to do it. He just needs some experience."

Reborn said nothing and it was Tsuna who answered, no longer caring that the hitman was within hearing distance.

"Reborn-san's Hiko's tutor, Takeshi-kun," Tsuna said softly, ignoring the startled looks his friends sent him. "Hiko's the one who's going to become Vongola Decimo."

He stopped, thinking back, and then added, "And I don't know how to enter Hyper Dying Will Mode. It just happens."

"I saw it once," Hayato spoke up, his expression becoming mildly sheepish. "That day you first talked to me in class. Your eyes turned orange."

Takeshi nodded. "I saw it too. On the roof, right before I climbed back over. I thought it was a trick of the light though."

"He should be trained, Reborn-san," Hayato urged. "He's the clone's brother in the end."

"I can't," Reborn said flatly, words clipped. "I'm here to train Hiko. That's the contract I made with Nono."

A slightly deflated silence followed before Tsuna spoke again, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"S'okay Reborn-san," He assured. Nothing showed on the hitman's face but Tsuna thought Reborn was sorry anyway. "I don't mind. I'm happy with what I have."

He sent a tentative smile in his friends' direction and they both brightened, Hayato tingeing pink when they understood what he was trying to say.

Beside him, Reborn sighed again, a mixture of exasperation and faint approval.

"Go back to sleep," He ordered. "You're not completely well yet. And you have a stack of homework waiting for you when you get up."

Even Tsuna was surprised when a quiet but decidedly petulant groan escaped his throat.

He received a gentle whack to the head for his efforts.

* * *

"So that's how it is."

"Mm," Tsuna nodded, standing nervously in front of the girl, Haru.

As soon as he had gotten better, Tsuna had gone to find Haru, which wasn't hard since the girl was lurking outside his house. It was only due to Bianchi, who had kindly but firmly kept her away, that the brunette hadn't snuck into the house.

With Hayato fuming in the background and Takeshi watching them with a casual eye, Tsuna had explained that Reborn was a lot smarter than his physical age and assured her to the best of his ability that neither he nor his brother were corrupting anybody. It helped that Reborn had been in a good enough mood to add his own assurances on top of Tsuna's. Reborn had always had a way with words and he could probably talk a statue into believing it could move.

The words Tsuna needed to explain came a lot easier than he thought it would be. It was as if some sort of dam had been broken down, and while he was nowhere near being a chatterbox, he found that communicating out loud wasn't as difficult as it used to be.

"Haru is sorry for the trouble," The girl said morosely, hands clasped behind her back. "And she didn't mean to slap you."

Tsuna hid a wince. Yeah, he hadn't particularly enjoyed that.

"It's alright," He shrugged. "I've had-"

He cut himself off at Haru's wide-eyed look and Hayato's growl several feet behind him.

"Uh, d- do you want to come eat sushi with us?" He asked instead in a not-so-subtle attempt to change the subject.

Haru gave him a searching look but relented at Tsuna's pensive expression and smiled tentatively instead. "Haru would like that."

As they moved to join Hayato and Takeshi, she added vehemently, "But Haru doesn't like your brother. There's no doubt he's a bully."

Tsuna opened his mouth to protest and then faltered, remembering Hiko's actions and Hayato's words.

"Yeah," He finally agreed, a little sad but a little relieved as well. "I guess he is."

* * *

"Sawada," A voice called out and Tsuna stiffened instinctively, whirling around to pin Mochida with a guarded look.

Mochida rolled his eyes like last time, jabbing a finger at where Hayato was arguing with Lambo by the ice-cream stand with Takeshi and Haru laughing on the side.

"Bodyguards, Sawada," He said dryly.

Tsuna nodded cautiously and tensed even further as the kendo captain came to a stop in front of him.

"You got your brother off Kyoko's back," Mochida stated.

Tsuna nodded again, wondering where this was going.

Mochida continued eyeing him speculatively before saying abruptly, "You're still ridiculously weak. But your brother's toned down a notch, you talked Yamamoto out of committing suicide, and you tamed that wild puppy of yours within a few days."

Tsuna nodded once more, wanting to snap at the teen for calling Hayato a wild puppy even as a niggling suspicion grew at the back of his mind.

Another long pause followed and then Mochida asked bluntly, "There's a free spot on the kendo team. Do you want it?"

Tsuna's jaw dropped. He'd never been one to cuss but what the _hell_ was going on?

"Don't get me wrong," Mochida sneered hastily. "I still don't like you. But seeing you do all that stuff and still remain pathetically weak is sickening to watch. And you did me a favor with Kyoko. I asked, and you agreed," He added, cutting off Tsuna's denial. "That's a favor, Sawada, so now I'm returning it. My family owns a dojo so I know what I'm doing. I'll teach you everything I know about kendo, and if you want, I'll even get my dad to train you. How 'bout it?"

The suspicion slowly turned to dawning realization. Was Mochida _impressed_?

Tsuna thought back to his brother's punch. Had it not been his intuition, he would be carrying around a black-eye at the moment. And with all this mafia business, surely, sooner or later, people would be coming after Hiko and, by extension, him and his mother. Maybe even his friends. And if Tsuna couldn't defend them when the time came, he would never forgive himself.

"Sawada?" Mochida pressed impatiently.

Tsuna hesitated for a moment longer and then nodded. "Alright, thank you."

Mochida looked taken aback and it was several seconds before Tsuna remembered he didn't talk around anyone. But the moment passed and Mochida grunted an acknowledgement as he turned away.

"Kendo practice is at six-thirty in the morning in the south gym," He tossed back over his shoulder. "I'll provide the equipment. Just get your ass there on time. And be prepared to learn. I'm not doing this for shits and giggles."

And without another word, Mochida walked off, leaving a slightly dazed Tsuna in his wake.

Well, apparently, he was going to learn kendo.

* * *

***Ten Years in the Future***

_"I've got bad news."_

"What news? And why are you whispering?"

_"I'm in Kokuyo. There's a... slight problem. But-"_

"What problem?"

_"Shut up, Octopus Head! I don't have much time. Chiavarone Dino is alive, confirmed. But his lower echelon's been wiped out to the extreme. He's making his way to Japan right now." *Muffled Shouts* "Damn it, I've gotta go."_

"Wait, you idiot! What the hell's going on?"

_"Kokuyo's been surrounded. We managed to get Kyoko and Haru-chan out; they're with my wife, but Chrome and I are still here. I've already disabled the Kokuyo entrance to our base though. They won't get in."_

"Shit, I'm sending you backup. Takeshi will be-"

_"No. We can handle it. We'll meet up with you later."_

"Ryo-"

_*Line Disconnected*_

"...I am going to wring that brainless fool's neck when he gets back! Hey, Sword Freak!"

"...What is it? I've got the Varia on line three-"

"Nevermind that now; I'll talk to them. Get over to Turf Top's house. The women are all there. Contact me when you get there."

"That was Ryohei? Did he get through to Dino?"

"Yeah, he's on his way here. Half his Family's been wiped out though."

"...He has no mercy."

"You just figured that out now? Get going!"

"On my way. Don't leave the Varia hanging. They get grumpy."

"Grumpy my ass. They're fucking psychotic. ...What the hell do you want?"

_"Vooiii! Don't take that tone with us, trash!"_

"I've got better things to do than listen to you spout crap all day, like clipping my toenails. Could you skip the insults and report?"

_"We don't answer to you, trash! We wouldn't even be talking if you shits hadn't grown a backbone!"_

"Either get to the point or fuck off! I've got work to do!"

_"Che. Our American Base has been destroyed. We evacuated in time but our damn boss can't be bothered to run again without some answers. We'll be holding the line at our Italian Base. We'll get back to you once we've killed the trash on our asses. Capire?"_

"Yeah, yeah, do whatever the fuck you want. Just get out in one piece."

_"...You channelling our mini-boss now, trash?"_

"You _acknowledging_ he's your boss now, bastard?"

_"We acknowledged that when we defected, trash. If you had even half a brain, you'd have realized sooner."_

_*Line Disconnected*_

"...Bastards."

* * *

**-More on Tsuna's growth than actually centered on Haru.**

**-Was Mochida a surprise? In all the KHR fics I've come across, Mochida's always been an idiot, an asshole, or an idiotic asshole, so I wondered what would happen if he was actually incorporated into a story as more than that. And it is mentioned that he's either associated with the Vongola or in the Vongola in the future and I don't think Tsuna would've let him into the Family if he was a complete jerk.**

**Next Chapter: Hibari Kyouya**


	6. Training BeginsThe Prefect Lends a Hand

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

**-This one was a hard chapter to write; Kyouya isn't an easy character for me:) It's longer than the others too since I couldn't find a place to cut it off.**

**-Kyoko will be coming up but not quite yet. She'll appear with her brother a few chapters later; I've already got their entrance planned.**

**-I won't be going in depth about Mochida's past or anything but he will eventually be a part of Tsuna's Family, though obviously not a Guardian.**

**-And as for Tsuna's weapon, it will still be the gloves but Tsuna will also be able to use a sword, though not as well. He's always been a hand-to-hand combat kind of fighter to me.**

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Training Begins and the Prefect Lends a Hand**

"Buchou, that's Dame-Tsuna. I don't think he'll be able to do it."

"Did I ask for your opinion? No. Do I _care_ about your opinion? Also no. Now get back to work or I'll assign you a hundred laps around the school!"

Tsuna eyed Mochida nervously as the kendo captain sent one of his teammates scurrying away across the gym.

"What?" Mochida growled when he caught Tsuna staring at him. "Did I say you could stop? You're stance is sloppy as hell. Are you trying at all?"

Tsuna hastily corrected his posture again.

"Elbows like this," Mochida reached out to fix his arms and Tsuna automatically stiffened as he had several times already in the past few weeks. "Goddamn it, Sawada, I'm not gonna hurt you!"

"W- Well you're not helping by yelling at me all the time," Tsuna finally shot back defensively.

He flinched a little when Mochida opened his mouth, already glaring at him, and then snapped it shut again, taking a deep breath and releasing it with a whoosh.

"You are infuriating, Sawada," Mochida told him dully, running a hand through his hair.

Tsuna's shoulders sagged as he stared at the ground in dismay. He had started kendo three weeks ago and to say that Hayato was not happy about it was an understatement. The bomber had tried to talk him out of it, and when that hadn't worked, he had insisted on accompanying Tsuna to practice.

The first day had been a disaster. Hayato and Mochida hadn't been able to stand each other and had spent the first fifteen minutes throwing insults back and forth. Takeshi had also been there but instead of trying to break it up, he had laughed and remarked on how well the two of them got along. That hadn't sat well with either of them and they had spent another ten minutes swearing at the baseball player.

By the time practice had actually started, Mochida had been in a downright foul mood and Tsuna, being completely new at the sport and the one who had 'brought' Hayato and Takeshi along, had gotten the brunt of it. Needless to say, Hayato had been enraged every time Mochida had so much as scowled in Tsuna's direction, and they hadn't even managed to get through twenty minutes of practice before the two of them were shouting at each other again.

And at the end of practice in which no one had done any actual practicing, Mochida had told Tsuna in no uncertain terms that if Hayato, and by extension Takeshi, ever showed their faces during kendo practice again, Mochida would kick the brunet out the door himself.

What had followed had been Hayato alternating between accusing Mochida of being unfair and celebrating Tsuna's imminent resignation from the kendo club. Takeshi had been completely useless as he tried to get the two hotheads to become friends, so in the end, it had been Tsuna who had had to step in.

It had taken a lot of wheedling, begging, and almost-threatening before Hayato and Takeshi had grudgingly agreed to back off and stay outside the gym when Tsuna was at practice. Tsuna wasn't sure but he thought he might've earned just a little respect from Mochida after that.

Not that it was helping any at the moment. As with almost everything else, Tsuna just couldn't get the hang of kendo. Oh, he had started picking up some of the basic forms, and after Mochida had found out that his stamina wasn't as bad as both of them had thought (most likely because of all the running he had had to do when escaping from bullies), the kendo captain had ordered him to polish that aspect up. Apparently, kendo wasn't just about swinging a wooden sword around; Mochida wasn't above assigning a terrifying number of laps for his entire team.

But Tsuna had almost no muscle build and even the lightest shinai weighed heavily in his hands after a few minutes, much to Mochida's ire. So the first order of business had been strength training; Tsuna had needed Hayato to carry him home after a morning of push-ups, sit-ups, and whatever else Mochida had deemed necessary.

Predictably, Tsuna had also struggled under the clothing and armour. He had been startled when Mochida had sighed and told him to take it off, but ever since then, Tsuna had trained without it. Apparently, in Mochida's words, if there was one thing Tsuna wasn't pathetic at, it was dodging blows, as the captain had quickly realized, and more often than not, when they sparred, Tsuna was able to slip past the strikes Mochida dealt. Of course, the captain always held back quite a bit, something that still surprised Tsuna a little, but the brunet was unexpectedly quick on his feet after all the running Mochida had gotten him to do, adamantly telling him to redo his laps every time Tsuna tripped. His clumsiness had died a swift and painful death by the end of the first week. Most of it anyway.

However, that was about as far as Tsuna had been able to advance. Kendo just didn't suit him, and even three weeks after he had started, the other club members were still laughing at him behind Mochida's back. Shockingly, Mochida wouldn't stand for it, and the first time someone had openly insulted Tsuna, the captain had made him regret it. Now they kept their comments subdued and usually out of Mochida's hearing range.

Now, Tsuna glanced cautiously at Mochida's frustrated expression and suggested miserably, "M- Maybe I should just-"

"Oh, shut up, Sawada," Mochida cut him off, shooting him an irritable glare. "Is this a habit of yours, giving up every time something doesn't work out? It's annoying; knock it off."

"But-"

"I said I would teach you _kendo_," Mochida growled. "Not the half-assed crap you've been doing, so until you become moderately successful at it and kick at least half the club's asses, I'm not letting you quit. Clear?"

Tsuna gaped at him. He still wasn't used to a Mochida who, while still as foul-mouthed and temperamental as before, seemed to have Tsuna's interests in mind.

"Get rid of whatever sap you're thinking," Mochida snapped. "It would be a blow to my pride if you don't amount to anything by the time we're done here. Now go through the forms again."

Tsuna stifled a sigh and went back to work. Well, he supposed it just wouldn't be right if he gave up before Mochida did.

* * *

Tsuna made sure to call out a greeting when he got home and watched, still somewhat bemused after three weeks, as his mother almost bounced out of the kitchen to welcome him home.

He had never considered it a big deal but the day he had returned to school after his brief sick leave, when talking had started coming just a little bit easier, his mother had looked ready to burst into tears when he got home and said a simple, "I'm home."

"Welcome back, Tsu-kun," His mother now greeted, smiling warmly at him. "How was school today?"

"Fine," He said. "Kendo was hard."

It had been four words but his mother beamed as if he had suddenly waxed poetic for a good half hour.

"But you're still keeping with it, Tsu-kun, that's what matters," She said firmly as she ushered him inside. "I'm proud of you."

Tsuna watched her out of the corner of his eye as she told him about her own day. Was it just him or did his mother sound happier than usual? Lighter? And when she told him she was proud of him, the words didn't sound so hollow anymore. Whenever she had said it in the past, for tests he _knew_ were bad or for homework with more red than white on them, he had hated those words. He hadn't deserved them.

But he was working for it now, working to do something he was actually kind of proud of himself.

Maybe that made all the difference.

* * *

"Hey Tsuna!" Takeshi greeted when he spotted the quiet brunet rounding the corner. Tsuna had promised to come watch his baseball game and he had been anxious to catch him before he had to go warm up.

Tsuna waved with the slightest of smiles as he jogged up. For once, Gokudera wasn't at his side, his sister having hauled him off somewhere, last Takeshi had heard anyway.

"Thanks for coming," Takeshi slung his arm around the brunet's shoulders. "You'll be cheering me on, right?"

Tsuna nodded with a slight smile, absently rubbing at his shoulder. Takeshi's smile faded a bit.

"Tsuna?" Takeshi waited until the brunet's gaze met his again. "Why did you start kendo?"

Tsuna blinked, a frown creasing his brow almost instantly.

"Just in case," He said softly after a long moment. "There are... people who might come after Hiko eventually. I want to be prepared just in case they try to get at me or Kaa-san or Lambo or... you and Hayato-kun."

It took a few seconds for Takeshi to makes sense of what Tsuna was saying, and then understanding dawned on him. "Oh! You mean Hiko's mafia game?"

A grimace Takeshi didn't understand crossed Tsuna's face but he only got a stiff nod in return.

"Hmm," Takeshi turned to gaze out over the baseball field. "Well, maybe I should do some training too."

He jumped a little when Tsuna rounded on him with uncharacteristic ferocity.

"You can't!" The brunet said vehemently. "I- I mean, you have baseball! A normal life. You shouldn't get involved in the mafia."

Takeshi studied the smaller teen carefully before asking lightly, "You don't have a normal life then?"

Tsuna shifted uneasily. "Hiko's going to become a mafia boss. I'm already involved. A normal life's not something I can have."

Takeshi nodded, tightening his hold on Tsuna momentarily. "Then I don't want a normal life either," He said cheerfully. "It'd be boring without you in it. I've decided; I'll play the mafia game with you."

Tsuna looked horrified. "Takeshi-kun-"

"Maa, Tsuna," Takeshi interrupted gently. "You're training and getting stronger to protect us, right?"

Tsuna nodded uncertainly.

"Then there's no way I won't do the same," Takeshi said firmly. "You're my friend, Tsuna. My _first_ real friend, actually. So I'm going to protect you too."

Tsuna was gaping at him now, still worried for him, but Takeshi could see the subtle awe slowly surfacing behind it. And under all that was a trace of delighted surprise that twisted Takeshi's heart because even after weeks of being friends, a part of Tsuna still couldn't believe Takeshi _wanted_ to be friends.

"It's dangerous," Tsuna finally mumbled. "You could get hurt."

"Well that's what the training's for," Takeshi reminded. "Don't worry; I'll train hard. Did you know my dad knows how to fight with a sword? I'll get him to teach me, and then we'll both be ready if enemies come. Besides, Gokudera's training as well, isn't he? With those fireworks of his."

Tsuna looked a little exasperated but nodded reluctantly. "Just don't forget about baseball," The smaller teen nodded at the field. "You should get going; you still need to warm up, right?"

"Right," Takeshi grinned, though he knew a distraction tactic when he saw one. Well, Tsuna would realize sooner or later that he meant every word. He would protect Tsuna no matter what, even in a mafia game. "See you after the game!"

Besides, he could do more than one thing at the same time, couldn't he? And if it came down to it, if he really had to choose between baseball and swordsmanship, between baseball and _Tsuna_...

Well, it wasn't really a choice at all.

* * *

"Tou-san, could you teach me the Shigure Souen Ryu?"

Tsuyoshi paused, hand hovering over the kitchen knife he had been about to pick up. "Shigure Souen Ryu? You've never had much interest in it before. What brought this on?"

His son shrugged sheepishly, "Never had a reason to. But Tsuna's been training, for that mafia game his brother plays. He's taken up kendo recently and Mochida-senpai's been getting him to run laps a lot."

Tsuyoshi stilled even further. He had been trying to come up with a reason for Reborn's presence in Namimori and had concluded that the Arcobaleno was training Tsuna's brother to become a Mafioso, though for what purpose he couldn't say.

"What is this mafia game about, Takeshi?" Tsuyoshi asked, giving his son his full attention.

Takeshi scratched his head. "Hiko's gathering people to become his Family members. The kid is training him to become the next Vongola boss."

Had Tsuyoshi been holding anything, he would've dropped it. Vongola. So the strongest hitman in the world had been sent to train the Ninth's heir. Well, no surprise there. Only the best for the best. But even from what little he had heard about Tsuna's twin from Takeshi, he couldn't understand why the Ninth would pick someone like Takehiko as Vongola Decimo. He had never actually met the current Vongola boss but Tsuyoshi had heard that the man wasn't particularly cruel or bloodthirsty like some bosses could be. Takehiko didn't seem like the type of person the Ninth would pick.

"I see," Tsuyoshi said out loud. "And you want to join this game as well?"

Takeshi smiled amicably. "Yup, but on Tsuna's side, of course. Gokudera's playing as well, I think, so they both have a head start. I figured I'd better start training too."

Tsuyoshi sighed. On one hand, he didn't want his son involved with the mafia. There was a reason why he had quit in the first place. That world was dangerous and bloody and cruel, and Takeshi still thought it was all a game to boot. But on the other hand, he liked Tsunayoshi. The boy just had a certain charm to him, and even though he had yet to speak in Tsuyoshi's presence, he had managed to get a few shy smiles from the brunet and that was a good start in his book. And it was also quite obvious that his son would stand by Tsuna no matter what. If Tsuyoshi refused to teach him, Takeshi would simply find another way.

"Alright," Tsuyoshi agreed, watching his son's face light up. "But I expect to be serious about it. Focus on the sword like you would baseball. I won't stand for any slacking."

As Takeshi nodded determinedly in response, Tsuyoshi prayed he had made the right decision.

* * *

"Die, Reborn!"

Reborn sighed. This was getting ridiculous. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the cow flying into the wall, not bothering to look away from the homework he was checking over. At the rate Tsuna was going, the older twin would soon surpass his brother in academics, and wouldn't that be irony for you?

"Gotta... stay... calm..."

There was a rustle and Reborn stiffened before whipping his head around as he recalled exactly what happened when the cow skipped over bombs but it was too late. Eyes widening minutely, he watched silently as the bazooka went off, pink smoke filling the room and a sort of apprehensive trepidation filled Reborn.

"Again?" Reborn heard a voice mutter. "Damn, Gokudera-shi will want my head on a platter this time."

Reborn couldn't help mentally smirking at that but any humour he felt towards the situation disappeared when the future Lambo caught sight of him and their eyes met. Right eye closed, the remaining green eye froze over instantly and Reborn already felt tired.

"Where's Tsuna-nii?" Lambo asked with forced cheer in his voice as he looked around. "This is his room, isn't it?"

"He's out with his friends," Reborn responded in kind, keeping his own voice bland. "You just missed him."

Lambo twitched a little and scratched his head. "Che, I've got better things to do than spend five minutes with you."

But he didn't leave, sitting down on Tsuna's bed instead and taking everything in with a nostalgic air. His gaze landed on a stuffed cow Reborn remembered Tsuna buying as part of Lambo's birthday present a few weeks back and picked it up, hands running over the toy as if it was a priceless heirloom.

"You don't have it anymore?" Reborn couldn't help prodding, a sudden sense of urgency to find out as much as he could despite the marked danger welling up inside him.

Lambo shot him another look that was a hair away from outright glaring, and any other time, Reborn would've shot him for it, but the cow honestly seemed to have a reasonable excuse to dislike him so the hitman ignored it.

"Didn't have time to get it," Lambo said stiffly. "Went up in flames along with the rest of this house."

Reborn didn't freeze but his hand tightened unnoticeably around the notebook he was still holding. "When?"

Lambo's expression mocked him for his curiosity and Reborn had to shove away the urge to do violence.

"You know I can't tell you that," Lambo countered, putting down the stuffed animal before leaning back on his hands with a sigh. "Yare, yare, this is a surprise. Who knew the great Reborn would get nervous enough to ask little old me-"

Reasonable excuse or no, Reborn took crap from no one and he had fired a bullet at the cow before either of them could blink. He could admit, to himself, that he was just a little surprised when a hand, already crackling with lightning, shot up and diverted said bullet before it reached its target, slamming into the wall behind Lambo instead.

"I'm not the little weakling you used to kick around anymore, Reborn," Lambo said, a peculiar humorless smile on his face as the lightning faded away. It was almost unnerving to see how much the cow differed from his five-year-old self.

Reborn studied him closely as Leon transformed back. In a fight, there was no doubt that he could defeat the cow but Lambo was still stronger than Reborn had expected. Even for a Bovino, the cow should have had to draw the lightning from somewhere but wherever that was, he didn't know. Instead, he picked up the lax but ready posture of the fifteen-year-old and the lazy but still alert gaze that kept the entire room in its line of sight and came to a conclusion. Reborn was not looking at ten years' worth of training; he was looking at ten years' worth of fighting.

Was the future really that bad?

His mental clock told him that the five minutes was almost up and he watched as Lambo straightened, anticipating the time jump. He couldn't help asking one last question, wanting to hear the answer but dreading it at the same time.

"Is he dead?"

Who 'he' was didn't need clarification.

Lambo scoffed, getting to his feet and stuffing his hands in his pockets. "What do you think?"

A question for a question was all Reborn was given before the cow disappeared in a haze of pink and left his five-year-old self in his wake.

Pulling his fedora down to shadow his eyes, Reborn turned away, ignoring the cow as he began to rant about something or other.

It was odd. As a hitman, things like emotions weren't something Reborn invested in, and while he certainly – deep, deep down – cared about some of the people around him, Sawada Tsunayoshi was not even his student, not someone he directly worked with, and yet the mere thought of what Lambo had implied sent a shard of ice cutting into his heart.

* * *

"What are you looking at?" Kensuke scowled when he caught Sawada's sidelong glance for the third time. As promised, he had cleared it with his old man, grabbed Sawada after class, whisked him away once the younger teen had guaranteed his survival in the Mochida household to his two guard dogs, and was currently trying to light a cigarette and glare at the brunet at the same time.

Sawada shrugged and remained silent until Kensuke finished lighting his cigarette.

"I- I thought sportsmen weren't supposed to smoke," He stared pointedly at the fag Kensuke had halfway to his mouth.

Kensuke pinned the smaller teen with a withering glare. "And I thought you had enough brain cells to keep your mouth shut."

Sawada shrank away from him and said nothing more but Kensuke's hand seemed to stall on its own a few inches from his mouth, the cigarette wavering in front of him.

How the hell did Sawada manage to convey his disapproval without even looking at him?

A few more seconds passed before Kensuke gave up and lowered his hand again, rounding on the brunet who was still giving off that damnable reproachful air. "What's your problem? Doesn't your puppy number one smoke?"

Sawada scowled up at him. "Don't call him that."

Kensuke just snorted unrepentantly.

"He's down to one a week," Sawada continued, features brightening in a disturbingly bipolar manner.

Kensuke clicked his tongue in annoyance. Gokudera and Yamamato were so damned whipped it wasn't funny. Those two followed Sawada around as if the brunet would keel over dead without them there. Honestly, was it normal for a teenager to be accompanied everywhere _every single day_? If Yamamoto didn't have baseball practice on some mornings, Kensuke would probably see him lurking outside the south gym with Gokudera as well.

"You'll get sick and die early if you keep smoking, senpai," Sawada lectured, and then quailed a little when Kensuke turned a glare on him again.

"Like I care," He snapped, and deliberately started smoking just to deny the spark of guilt in his chest as large brown eyes blinked at him worriedly. The little pipsqueak didn't even look disappointed like his mother usually did, just concerned.

It was fucking annoying, but Kensuke was simply paying back a favour. He wasn't like those groupies that followed Sawada around; he wouldn't let the smaller teen get to him.

* * *

"Old man, why'd you get him a bokken? I'm trying to teach him kendo, you know."

Sousuke glanced to the side as his son joined him. This was the third time Kensuke had brought Tsunayoshi to the dojo and Sousuke had met them at the door with a bokken.

"The shinai is too heavy for him," He said curtly. "A bokken is not standard kendo equipment but at least he can move more easily."

To be honest, Sousuke had taken one look at Sawada Tsunayoshi and had wanted to turn the boy away. He wasn't suited for kendo, and while he could become adept at it, the teen would never become an expert.

But it was also the first time since Kensuke was five that his son had brought someone over and Sousuke wanted to know what was so special about Tsunayoshi. The boy was slight and timid and doe-eyed, wary and never speaking around Sousuke at all; usually the kind of person his son would sneer at.

"He's not entering any competitions with that thing," Kensuke mumbled around yet another cigarette. Sousuke frowned in disapproval, knowing that scolding him would be futile, and then did a subtle double-take when he realized it wasn't lit. Come to think of it, he hadn't smelled smoke for the past week or so, at least not around the house.

"I'm getting him used to moving with it first," Sousuke clarified. He had spent some time of each training session attacking the boy with a padded shinai while Tsunayoshi was blindfolded. The kid had surprisingly good instincts, so much that even Sousuke was impressed. However, in his opinion, Tsunayoshi was better suited for hand-to-hand combat instead of trying to incorporate an actual weapon into his fighting style. But the boy wanted to learn and Kensuke had asked, so Sousuke had agreed, if only to find out more about his son's new friend.

Not that Kensuke called him as such, but while Sousuke had seen his son growling and berating Tsunayoshi, he also seemed a little- not happier per se, but more open and less angry, his temper always somewhat reigned around the smaller teen. In turn, Kensuke had mellowed a little towards his family, no longer as quick to get irritated as before.

He shook out of his thoughts when Tsunayoshi finished the kata he had assigned. Time to move on to the next exercise.

"By the way, Kensuke," Sousuke couldn't help calling back over his shoulder as he moved forward. "Are you considering quitting?" He nodded at the cigarette.

His son grunted noncommittally, muttering something that sounded like 'damn pipsqueak' under his breath before stalking out of the dojo.

Sousuke stared after him, a little bemused, before turning back to his almost-student. Yes, Sawada Tsunayoshi was worth keeping an eye on.

* * *

This was too much. What exactly had Kensuke done in his life to deserve this? Sure, he smoked (now cutting back _not_ because of Sawada), and he used to bully younger students (no more time for that now because he had an idiot underclassman to train), and his temper often got the better of him (but damn it, he had gotten moderately better because Sawada didn't particularly like people yelling at him and he froze up and made Kensuke's job that much harder, which was the only reason he was trying to keep his temper in check), and he had backed off on semi-harassing girls (he hadn't had time for that either).

But surely that didn't amount to _this_.

"Come in, come in. You must be another of Tsu-kun's friends. The kendo captain, right?"

Kensuke forced a pained smile onto his face. "Yes, ma'am. To the second. I'm not Sawada's friend."

Sawada's mother waved a dismissive hand in the air as she ushered Kensuke inside the house. "Now, now, no need to be shy. Have you eaten breakfast yet? Of course you haven't; it's much too early. You can join us before you head off to school."

Kensuke dumbly followed the woman into the kitchen and promptly found himself in a madhouse.

In the far corner was Gokudera, having some sort of hair tug o' war with- was that a miniature _cow_? Both were shouting insults at the top of their lungs as they faced off.

Several feet away was Yamamoto, laughing without a care in the world as he watched the aforementioned two and cheered both of them on.

Then there was a lady wearing goggles standing by the stove. Kensuke would have thought her to be quite pretty if she didn't have an evil sort of gleam in her eyes and was currently elbow deep in a purple concoction that Kensuke wanted no part of.

And finally, there was another baby sitting on the counter, wearing a suit and a fedora, and drinking _coffee_. That couldn't possibly be legal, could it? The kid couldn't be more than two years old.

And all this just because Kensuke had had the brilliant idea to make a stop at the Sawada household to make sure Sawada got to school on time because the pipsqueak had been late for practice several times already. If this was his reward, this would be the _last_ time Kensuke did _anything_ out of the goodness of his own heart.

"Oh, senpai?"

Crap, Yamamoto had caught sight of him. Kensuke pinned the baseball player with a glare. It had absolutely no effect.

"Are you joining us for breakfast?" The younger teen said, smiling happily.

Gokudera looked up as well, momentarily pausing in his fight with the cow. "What are _you_ doing here? Get out! You're not fit to breathe the air in this house!"

Kensuke wanted to say no but Gokudera pissed him off, not to mention Sawada's mom was still within earshot and even he wasn't that much of a bastard so he grunted evasively instead.

"Great! I'll get another plate out."

Apparently, in Yamamoto language, that meant yes.

"He doesn't even want to, baseball freak!"

And Gokudera understood him completely.

"S- Senpai?"

Finally. Someone he could yell at.

"Get me outta here, Sawada!" Kensuke hissed when Sawada appeared at his elbow. "This freak show of a house of yours is giving me the creeps."

Sawada blinked blearily at him and then had the gall to pat him on the arm in a vaguely comforting manner before leading him to the dinner table.

"Senpai," He mumbled. "It's too early to get into an argument. Just sit down and eat with us."

Kensuke wanted to ask what Gokudera and the cow-child were doing if it was too early to argue but before he could open his mouth, the pink-haired lady was suddenly hovering over his shoulder, holding a dangerous-looking plate of something.

"Why hello there," The woman started amiably as she placed the dish in front of him. "A new mouth to try my recipes. Enjoy, okay?"

Kensuke was quite frankly terrified as the 'food' wriggled and sent up purple smoke. Who needed horror movies? This place was the stuff of nightmares.

"Bianchi-san," Sawada said from next to him as the brunet took a seat as well. "Don't tease him. He doesn't understand."

The woman pouted but withdrew the plate. "Tsuna-kun, you're no fun. Ah well, I suppose I'll just have to test it out on that brother of yours when he wakes up later."

She flounced away, leaving Kensuke frozen in his seat and trying to find an escape route.

"Just don't eat anything she gives you," Sawada advised. "Her food is poisonous."

Before Kensuke could figure out whether the smaller teen was serious or not, the baby on the counter called out, "Tsuna, make the coffee. _Granita di caffè con panna _today. You still can't get the hang of that one and it's one of the simplest to make."

Sawada jumped to his feet again, obeying without question, though he did remark, "Nobody drinks that in the morning."

"If you can make it perfectly, I'll drink it," The baby said evenly.

Kensuke watched Sawada work but he found his attention drifting back to the baby. There was something about him that made Kensuke wary. When the kid looked back, unblinking and blank-faced, Kensuke looked away. The baby's stare was unsettling.

It wasn't long before breakfast was served and Kensuke was mildly astounded that it wasn't as bad as he originally thought. Sawada's mom was too nice to hold a grudge against, the pink-haired lady, Bianchi, was tolerable when she wasn't waving a plate of poison in your face, and he was already used to Sawada and his two lapdogs. The fedora-wearing baby, Reborn, sat on Sawada's other side so as long as Kensuke didn't crane his head too far, he could pretend Reborn wasn't using a fork and knife like a grown-up. The cow-kid was obnoxious and irritating though and before Kensuke knew it, he had been pulled into a three-way argument with the brat and Gokudera, snapping at each other between bites of egg and bacon and trying to out-sneer each other.

It was unexpectedly... fun.

Not that Kensuke would ever admit it, and by the time breakfast was finished and he, Sawada, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were rushing to school, they were all back to shouting or laughing or staying nervously silent.

But two days later when Kensuke trudged to school for kendo practice, his feet betrayed him and led him back to the Sawada household for another round of madness.

And by the time he realized it, breakfast at Sawada's house before morning practice had become routine.

* * *

"You're hopeless. You should just quit."

Tsuna was too tired and had heard this insult too many times to give Hiko more than a cursory glance before letting his head drop back onto the arm of the couch he was laying on. "Hm."

He could practically feel his brother fuming but all he wanted to do was sleep. Sometimes, he thought Mochida was trying to kill him after al-

His senses flared and without thinking, Tsuna rolled off the couch and lashed out with one arm as he hit the ground, sweeping the legs out from under his attacker before shifting out of the way as their body thudded to the ground.

In his mind's eye, he was back in Mochida's family dojo with Mochida-sensei, blindfolded as the older man rained blows down on him from all direction.

At the moment though, reality rushed back and Tsuna stared at the cursing teen in front of him, dumbfounded to find his brother on the ground.

"What the hell?!" Hiko snarled.

Tsuna blinked, recalling the hand that he had sensed reaching forward to yank him up by his hair and sighed. 'What the hell' should be his line.

"Your reflexes are still too slow, Hiko," Reborn piped up from where he was sitting, calmly polishing a gun as he watched on.

"Well why didn't you warn me?" Hiko snapped.

"You were trying to hurt your brother," Reborn said coolly. "At the very least, if he hadn't moved, you would've given him whiplash. Tsuna had every right and I saw no reason to stop him."

Tsuna eyed the tutor wryly. Apparently, even Reborn had gotten used to the fact that this household was so screwed up that it was commonplace for Hiko to try to hurt Tsuna in any way he could, verbally or physically.

"You're _my_ tutor," Hiko was saying.

Reborn gave him a blank look that screamed _so?_

Hiko gritted his teeth. "You always take Dame-Tsuna's side!"

Tsuna grimaced and levered himself back onto the couch as Reborn answered, "I'm a hitman. The only side I take is my own."

"...So you're not actually in the Vongola then?"

Tsuna paused and glanced over at his brother. Hiko sounded too casual.

"I mean you mentioned it before," Hiko continued. "You just have a contract with the Ninth, right? What happens once it's been fulfilled?"

Reborn didn't so much as twitch as he started taking apart his gun with efficiency borne from experience.

"Everyone goes their own way," Reborn said calmly. "I am allied to Vongola but in the end, I'm also a freelance assassin. I just turn down jobs offered by Vongola's enemies."

"Oh," Hiko nodded, features still smoothed out and guileless in the way Tsuna knew meant he was scheming something. Soon enough, his twin got up, shot him a glare, muttered something about homework, and disappeared upstairs, leaving Reborn and Tsuna in the living room.

"Foolish boy," Reborn murmured so quietly that Tsuna was quite sure he wasn't supposed to have heard it.

Tsuna privately agreed. Anyone with eyes could see Hiko's dislike for Reborn and his twin would most likely send the tutor as far away as possible once the contract was up, but despite his Spartan training methods and sadistic tendencies, the hitman made an excellent ally and advisor, and was always dependable in his own way. If Tsuna had been the one chosen to become Vongola Decimo, no force on earth would convince him to let Reborn go without at least attempting to keep him in the Family-

Tsuna started. Where had that come from? He definitely didn't want to become some cruel mafia boss of a crime family; that fact would never change, but if it was Hiko...

He looked up when he felt a set of eyes focused on him and just managed to catch an odd fleeting look from Reborn. Nervously, Tsuna mumbled an excuse and sped out of the room as well. He wasn't sure how the hitman's mind-reading skill worked; he just hoped Reborn hadn't picked up any of his thoughts. They were stupid and not worth thinking about and, somewhere along the way, Reborn's opinion had become important to him. He didn't want the tutor to think any less of him than he probably already did.

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Reborn couldn't actually read minds. He was just very good at picking up tells and mannerisms and emotions and piecing them all together. Basically, he was just very good at his job.

It was even easier reading Tsuna's expressive eyes and constantly shifting features but that hadn't stopped the thrum of shock from running through him when he had caught the disapproval lurking in the brunet's eyes as the teen watched his brother leave, nor the beginnings of contemplation as the brown gaze had stared off into the distance, nor the tiny, brief glimmer of purpose that had flickered to life in a rare moment of self-confidence.

And Reborn had heard it clear as day.

_I could do better._

It was amazing what a few trusted friends and a boost in confidence could do to a person. Watching Tsuna become a little more open each day and observing his admittedly slow but steady progress in his academics, Reborn had felt the same pride he would have if Tsuna had been his own student.

There were still many times when Tsuna would shrink back fearfully and the teen still preferred to stay silent rather than talk but Reborn had noticed the minute changes; standing a little taller, meeting a person's eyes when they spoke to him. Small things, but satisfying to see, regardless.

But this aspect of Tsuna had been something Reborn had worried about. Or rather the lack thereof. Tsuna had had no confidence thus far, and even if Reborn somehow succeeded in convincing the Ninth to switch to the older twin for his heir and was able to convince Tsuna into actively training to become Vongola Decimo, Tsuna himself still had to want it, want it and believe he could take it. Maybe not right away, but eventually.

The thought had been brief and Tsuna had probably quashed it as soon as it had brushed his subconscious, but it had been there.

And that, Reborn could work with.

He recalled one of the older laws of the Vongola Famiglia, invoked when others sought to claim the title. And so long as they were part of the Vongola bloodline, they would have the right. A battle for the possession of the Vongola rings that would determine the upper echelon of the tenth generation.

Tsuna was starting his training and Gokudera would only get better. Yamamoto had jumped on the proverbial bandwagon and followed Tsuna's example, getting his father to teach him swordsmanship. And if the cow could use the ten-year-bazooka and finish off his opponent within five minutes, that made three. It was a good starting lineup.

But it would be difficult. First and foremost, Reborn couldn't help them. The contract forbade him from teaching Tsuna anything, directly or indirectly, and it would be considered outright betrayal if he presented Tsuna and his friends as candidates against his own student. For another, he had no idea how to go about finding the brunet more potential candidates. He already had an eye on Sasagawa Ryohei and Hibari Kyouya but to give them to Tsuna over Hiko was, again, something he couldn't do. He was fairly certain Hiko would never get a man like Hibari to bow down to him so it was up to Tsuna's charisma and nature to reel the loner in. Ryohei might, though considering all the stalking Hiko had done to the older student's sister, his chances there had decreased significantly as well, and Reborn was sure the boxer's enthusiastic character would be good for Tsuna.

The people Hiko had chosen so far were unsavory teenagers. They were strong, and at the moment, Hiko wouldn't have trouble defeating his brother, but Reborn could see that changing. Tsuna had much more potential than his twin after all.

But he was getting ahead of himself. This might not even be possible. It would be easy enough to slip the candidate rule in along with all the other laws he was drilling into Hiko while Tsuna was in earshot but that was all he could do. Encouraging Tsuna to follow up on the rule, to try to seize the title from his brother, was also something Reborn couldn't do.

But it was a chance. One in a million chance that Tsuna would see just where his brother was headed before it was too late and give himself the push to take the step Reborn knew he was capable of.

It was all he could think of. For now though, he would let Tsuna continue at his own pace. The teen was doing fine; there was no need to worry too much just yet.

* * *

"You think I can't?" Hiko demanded angrily.

His tutor stared back equably. "Not at the moment. Not like how you are now."

Hiko flushed, fists clenching. "Well why not? I'm strong, and I can have my Family back me up!"

Reborn sighed in the way that told Hiko he was an idiot. The bitterness curled even tighter in his gut.

"Do you think that's really enough to defeat someone like HIbari?" Reborn countered sternly. "You'll need more than brute strength to take someone like him down. And even if you manage it, then what? Simply defeating him won't get him into your Family."

"I'll force him to join," Hiko announced, and gritted his teeth when he sensed the mental snort from his tutor. "You think I can't do it?"

"I don't 'think' anything," Reborn said bluntly. "I know you can't do it. Unless you get his respect, Hibari won't bow down to you. He's not one to bow down to anyone, but if you earn his respect, he'll at least tolerate you."

Hiko sneered. "I don't need him to tolerate me. He's always going on about herbivores and him being the only carnivore. When I beat him, he'll have to follow me."

Reborn just sighed. "No," He said adamantly, leaping down onto the floor from the dinner table. "You're not ready. Stay away from Hibari."

Before Hiko could shoot something back, the front door opened and his idiot brother appeared moments later, toting his bokken and yawning. A shot fired by Reborn exploded near his feet and his twin yelped, jumped, stumbled over thin air, and crashed to the ground in an unsightly heap.

Hiko scoffed loudly. God, why was he cursed with such a loser for a brother?

"Hmph," Reborn spoke up, his gun transforming back into a chameleon. "I see your clumsiness still hasn't been cured. Mochida clearly isn't giving you enough laps."

Dame-Tsuna looked up with an uncharacteristic scowl, something he wouldn't have done even a few weeks ago.

"Y- You made me trip," His twin accused pathetically as he rubbed his head.

To his growing resentment, Hiko's tutor smirked good-naturedly at Dame-Tsuna. "I was welcoming you home since Mamma isn't here to do it. It's only polite, Tsuna."

Dame-Tsuna continued to scowl but an annoying smile quirked his lips as he pushed himself to his feet. He didn't reply, nodding stiffly at Hiko before heading for the stairs, pausing only long enough to give Leon a pat on the head.

And Reborn let him. The chameleon just licked his twin's finger instead of biting him as it had done to Hiko when he had tried picking it up to see how it could change into different weapons. And Hiko would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to see how much friendlier _his_ tutor was to his stupid brother. He couldn't understand why so many people had started being nice to Dame-Tsuna recently. Even that loser upperclassman he had beaten in kendo had taken to meeting up with his twin whenever there was kendo practice in the morning. Granted, Mochida had to pass their house when he walked to school and it was always entertaining to watch the kendo captain yell at Dame-Tsuna when his brother stumbled ungracefully outside, still half-asleep, but both Gokudera and Yamamoto were usually there already. There was no need for Mochida to walk to school with that lot.

Well, he would show them, especially Reborn. He would take down Hibari Kyouya and force him into his Family. And then maybe he would teach Dame-Tsuna a lesson and send the prefect after him. If nothing else, it would be fun to watch his twin lose that stupid smile he occasionally wore nowadays.

* * *

Hibari Kyouya was a fair man. He prided himself on keeping Namimori safe and disciplined and he never let anyone get away with breaking school rules. If any students came to the Disciplinary Committee with an honest appeal, the doors were open.

So when a student was brave enough to approach him with what he claimed to be an important request, Kyouya didn't turn him away. However, he was surprised when Sawada Takehiko challenged him to a one-on-one fight after school. It wasn't Disciplinary Committee business but Kyouya was always looking for a strong opponent to bite to death and he had heard of this herbivore's prowess in sports.

Sawada Takehiko had never been someone he was particularly interested in; the teen was just another student, albeit a popular one, in Namimori. But no one ever _asked_ Kyouya for a fight before and he was curious to see what the herbivore could do, so he agreed. The teen had also placed a bet; something about joining the herbivore's mafia group should he win. Kyouya had inwardly scoffed at this and hadn't even bothered answering.

Five hours after that in Namimori Middle's parking lot, Kyouya was more than a little disappointed that the herbivore was just an herbivore. Certainly, the teen wasn't too bad with the trench knives he wielded but Kyouya was leagues better. Besides, the herbivore was impulsive and only seemed to get more and more frustrated as Kyouya knocked him back time and time again.

"You are boring me, herbivore," Kyouya said coldly as he slammed the teen down one last time.

The herbivore snarled, glaring at him before smirking. "How about this then?"

Kyouya raised an eyebrow when several other teenagers – sixteen of them – came out, surrounding him. He had already known they were there watching the fight and he had been planning to bite them to death for crowding, but...

"You're going to join my Family," The pathetic herbivore said. "It's an honour to be invited into the Vongola."

If this was what the famous Italian Vongola Famiglia was amounting to these days, even Kyouya pitied them. He narrowed his eyes at his so-called challenger. "You think a few herbivores could force me to do anything?"

The teen gave him a superior look that didn't work too well with the black eye Kyouya had given him. "We outnumber you. Give up now and things won't go badly for you."

Kyouya smirked thinly and raised his tonfa. For one thing, he wasn't interested in the mafia. They were even more unruly than your average yakuza. For another...

"Liars will be bitten to death," Kyouya said calmly. "And I do not follow weak herbivores."

And before the teen could do more than look enraged, Kyouya rounded on the new arrivals and proceeded to bite them all to death. He saw brass knuckles and chains and even a baseball bat being drawn but none of them touched him, giving him little interest as he took them all down. Five minutes later, the last pained shout had died and Kyouya turned back to the herbivore who had broken his word. No longer wearing that cocky expression, the younger teen was merely a nuisance to Kyouya.

"W- Wait-!" The teen stumbled and fell back onto the ground.

Kyouya paid him no mind as he rushed forward. This herbivore had wasted his entire afternoon pretending to be a carnivore.

A movement at the corner of his eye made him twist out of the way of an oncoming attack before crashing his tonfa into a startlingly steady bokken. Leaping back and taking in the physical similarities, he made the connection right away. The pathetic herbivore's twin brother had arrived.

"What are you doing, herbivore?" Kyouya enquired harshly as he stopped a sword thrust with one tonfa and threw the brunet back. "I have no quarrel with you. It is your brother I wish to bite to death."

The small teen in front of him didn't say a word, didn't even snivel in fear as most people on the wrong end of his temper did. Instead, he staggered back onto his feet, one hand reaching behind him to haul his twin up as well before pressing the pathetic herbivore's head down and bowing himself. Kyouya noted with passing interest that the bokken hadn't wavered, still pointed carefully at him.

He studied the two, the younger still shaking while the elder stood firm but tense, shoulders stiff. He had heard of Sawada Tsunayoshi; the Dame student who didn't talk. At least not until recently. Kyouya had seen the boy crowding with a few other herbivores and occasionally responding out loud. And apparently, he was also more responsible than his brother.

Still, the younger twin had tried to trick Kyouya and an apology wasn't enough to make up for it.

"Liars must be bitten to death," He stated evenly, raising his tonfa again. "Move out of the way."

Brown eyes shone with a curious mix of fear and defiance as their owner raised his head and stepped forward, placing himself squarely in front of his twin. The pathetic herbivore immediately cowered behind his older brother.

"Herbivore, this is your last warning," Kyouya took a step forward. "You will also be bitten to death if you do not step aside."

He felt a spark of incredulity when the herbivore shook his head, but it quickly changed to deep disgust when the pathetic herbivore called out forcefully, "Dame-Tsuna's in my Family too. He can fight you instead."

And without another word, his would-be prey turned and sprinted away, leaving Kyouya in a temporary state of disbelief. He had no siblings to speak of but even he knew this was not normal behaviour.

With a contemptuous sneer, he made to go after him, only to stop again when the remaining herbivore stepped in his path, bokken at the ready.

"Herbivore," Kyouya started, what little patience he still had draining away.

The brunet cut off anything else he had to say with a vehement shake of his head, hands gripping his wooden sword firmly. For a moment, Kyouya thought he saw a flash of orange dart through his unassuming brown eyes.

"You would protect him?" Kyouya asked instead, not bothering to hide his scorn.

A rueful smile curled at the herbivore's lips and Kyouya finally heard him speak. "H- He's my brother in the end. I can't let him get hurt. P- Please forgive him just this once."

Kyouya studied him for a moment before smirking coldly. "No."

With that said, he dashed forward, sidestepping the brunet as he set his sights on the direction his prey had gone.

Only to raise his tonfa to block the bokken sweeping in from his right and leaping back to avoid a follow-up blow.

Kyouya raised an eyebrow as the herbivore braced himself in front of him again. "Oh? This is interesting."

He observed the gleam of orange now fully occupying the herbivore's pupils, determined and unwavering, and excitement flared in his chest.

"I'm sorry, Hibari-san," The brunet said softly. "I know Hiko shouldn't have lied to you but he's my brother and I can't just stand aside and let other people hurt him when I can prevent it."

"So you'll take his place then?" Kyouya enquired, more amused than irritated now. "You believe you can be more of a challenge than he was?"

The small teen shrugged and raised his bokken once more. "I'll certainly try."

Kyouya didn't particularly like the indefinite answer and hurtled forward instead, not giving the brunet any time to think before bearing down on him with his weapons.

They traded blows for several minutes, but while Kyouya blocked all of the not-quite-herbivore's attempts at reaching him, he soon realized that most of his own blows weren't touching anything at all. Some of them hit and he could see the not-quite-herbivore wincing when a particularly heavy strike landed but paying closer attention, he found the boy ducking and weaving around his tonfa with considerable ease, the bokken in hand more a hindrance than anything else.

Kyouya twitched as he jumped back to avoid a strike. He hated weak herbivores but he hated _stupid_ weak herbivores even more, and this one...

He eyed the brunet carefully, taking in the small stature and nimble feet. If Kyouya sped up a little, the fight would be over soon enough. While the teen was stubborn and, in Kyouya's opinion, certainly more respectable than the pathetic herbivore, the smaller teen was also already panting.

But there was potential there. In fact, Kyouya had never been interested in fighting weaker people but this one made him curious. For one thing, the not-quite-herbivore was admittedly good at escaping attacks but someone of this teen's calibre shouldn't be able to escape all of them.

As the brunet swept in again, Kyouya narrowed his eyes and deliberately knocked the bokken out of his hands before swinging his other tonfa around and aiming for the teen's head.

Within the span of a second, Kyouya's opponent ducked, his tonfa met empty air, and his feet were suddenly kicked out from under him, bringing him to the ground with a jarring thud.

He was back on his feet again in the blink of an eye but the brunet had also scrambled away for his weapon instead of following up on the attack and Kyouya found himself highly fascinated and equally annoyed.

"Enough," He said flatly, and watched the brunet pause, still guarded as his weapon tilted in Kyouya's direction again.

"Who taught you how to fight?" Kyouya asked abruptly.

The not-quite-herbivore looked taken aback but slowly replied, "Mochida-senpai did. I'm in the kendo club."

Kyouya scoffed. "He taught you wrong."

The brunet had the nerve to look mildly indignant. "I'm not that bad. I got you once just now."

Kyouya raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Without your weapon," He pointed out. "You are unsuited for kendo, herbivore."

The brunet was clearly at a loss for words, and now that their brief clash seemed to have run its course, Kyouya could see the orange fading, the interesting omnivore sinking back behind the ordinary herbivore once more.

And he found himself wondering what would happen in a fight when this person was at the height of his potential strength.

"I will teach you," Kyouya announced decidedly, slipping his tonfa away. He ignored the gaping herbivore and turned on his heel to leave.

"W- Wait, Hibari-san-"

"I will teach you," Kyouya repeated with finality, not bothering to look back. "Or your brother will be bitten to death. Your choice, herbivore."

He didn't receive another objection.

* * *

By the time Tsuna managed to limp home, having fallen down quite a few times after the beating he took from Kyouya, it was almost dinner time.

He supposed it was lucky that Yamamto had a late practice today and Gokudera had already gone home. Both would have thrown a fit if they could see him now.

Leaning against the gate of his house, Tsuna took a deep breath and then winced. He really hoped none of his ribs were broken.

Stumbling towards his front door, he paused as he tried to figure out how to get past his mother without being seen. His head jerked up when the door swung open and it took him a moment to look down and realize it was Reborn.

"Quickly," The tutor said tonelessly. "Up the stairs."

"Hiko?" Tsuna asked faintly as he staggered into the house.

He distantly saw Reborn tug his fedora down, hiding his expression. "Your mother's busy patching Hiko up."

A flash of relief ran through him. Hiko had made it home alright then. He had been pretty roughed up by Hibari as well.

Dragging himself up the stairs was a chore and a half and by the time he reached his room, his entire body was aching, the last of his adrenaline dissipating as he collapsed face-first on his bed, trying his best to not jostle any of his injuries.

"Roll over, Tsuna," He heard Reborn say.

His sluggish brain tried to prod his limbs into action but all he wanted to do was sleep until the pain went away.

"Tsuna, those injuries need to be treated. Roll over."

Reborn sounded more demanding this time and Tsuna forced himself to move, not quite able to bite back a whimper as his ribs throbbed. He started struggling into a sitting position but a tiny hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Just lay back, Tsuna. Sleep. I'll take care of the rest."

Lethargy began dragging him under but Tsuna couldn't miss the bright yellow light flaring from his left where Reborn was standing. He felt the sting of wounds being driven away and the light was so peaceful that Tsuna wanted to see what it was.

"Stop moving. Go to sleep."

Eyes closed now, he picked up the sharp edge buried in Reborn's voice and stiffened a little.

"Are you angry?" He whispered, clinging to awareness as he waited for the hitman's answer. "I'm sorry. Was Hibari a test for Hiko? I didn't mean to interfere, but Hiko was in trouble. I had to cut in."

Reborn was oddly silent even as the light washed over him in soothing waves.

"No, Tsuna," The tutor finally spoke, the anger no longer there or maybe just better hidden away. "You did nothing wrong. You did a good job."

The rare compliment unknowingly put a smile on Tsuna's face and it was the last thing he heard before he drifted off into a restful slumber.

* * *

Reborn didn't dare face his student that night, afraid he might actually shoot the brat for real. Instead, he left the house and a forested area in Namimori, where he then proceeded to put holes in everything until the sun came up. He wanted to kill something but it wasn't as if he could ask the Nono for a mark to assassinate. Trees would have to do.

By the time he returned to the Sawada household, the dark near-consuming rage had retreated to a simmering anger and Reborn didn't hesitate to kick Hiko's bedroom door open, closing it quietly so he wouldn't wake Tsuna up, and then fired off several bullets from a Leon-turned-silencer. The shots were close enough to graze his student and Hiko jerked awake with a cry before tumbling off the bed.

"Reborn! Don't wake me up like-" Hiko fell silent as soon as his eyes landed on the hitman. Perhaps his intuition caught something or maybe Reborn hadn't hidden his fury well enough but the boy didn't dare say another word as he pulled himself back onto the bed.

"Explain yourself," Reborn said quietly, almost pleasantly.

Hiko swallowed, his gaze skittering away from him.

"I specifically told you to stay away from Hibari," Reborn continued, his voice controlled and level. "You are no match for him the way you are now."

Hiko had the audacity to open his mouth and Reborn cut him off before he could say a word. "Are you going to sit there and tell me I'm wrong?"

Hiko's mouth snapped shut with a click and he scowled sullenly instead.

"And not only did you disobey me, you left your Family members and your own brother behind," Reborn's hand clenched around his gun. "You are a failure as a boss."

Hiko's face flushed and the boy jumped to his feet. "What else could I do? The boss is the most important! I had to get away!"

"The Family is the most important," Reborn said icily. "The boss' job is to protect the Family, and you didn't just fail to do so, you left your brother behind to clean up your mess."

The red darkened and Hiko spat out, "Well if you were there, why didn't you do something? You could've helped me!"

"I had no idea you had done something so foolish!" Reborn barked out as his anger spiked again. "By the time I arrived, you were in the process of running away."

"So you stayed to help Dame-Tsuna!" Hiko accused hotly. "You're always-"

Reborn fired another bullet, nowhere near satisfied when his student flinched.

"I would have cut in had Tsuna been unable to handle it," Reborn said harshly. "Fortunately for everyone involved, Hibari isn't the type to strike someone down without cause."

"So what's the problem then?" Hiko said defiantly. "Everyone's fine. Dame-Tsuna-"

"Tsuna came home with two cracked ribs, a sprained wrist, and more bruises than you've had in your entire life," Reborn interjected. "And the first thing he did was ask after you. Have you no shame at all?"

Hiko slowly sat down, and for a brief, hopeful moment, Reborn thought he had gotten through.

"...So what? It's just Dame-Tsuna."

Reborn stared emotionlessly at his student. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"Because he's a pathetic loser," Hiko crossed his arms. "I'm not talking about this again, Reborn. You might like him for some reason but I'll always know how pathetic he is."

Reborn didn't look away for a long minute, wondering how someone so young could be so cruel. And then, wordlessly, he placed Leon back on his fedora and left the room. The boy's character couldn't be changed. Not by him, anyway. Reborn would continue training the boy and finish gathering his Guardians, but that was it. Somehow, someway, he would convince Tsuna to make a bid for the rings, and after Tsuna won (because there was no doubt in Reborn's mind that Tsuna would win), he would wrangle a new contract with the Nono, even if he had to argue himself blue in the face, and take Tsuna under his wing instead.

* * *

"Herbivore, Sawada Tsunayoshi will no longer be attending kendo practice."

Mochida looked flummoxed for all of a second before snapping out of his stupor when Hibari began dragging Tsuna out of the gym.

"Hey, since when did the President of the Disciplinary Committee concern himself with the kendo club?" He demanded, taking a step forward and making everyone within hearing distance wonder if the captain had a death wish.

Tsuna eyed them both warily as Hibari stopped and glanced back sharply at Mochida.

"He is unsuited for kendo," Hibari said coolly, a warning flashing in his eyes. "I will be teaching him instead."

The entire gym stopped breathing at this announcement. Tsuna thought he saw someone faint near the back.

Mochida twitched but didn't back down. "Oh, and I suppose he's going to do so much better with a pair of tonfa?"

Hibari narrowed his eyes ominously. "Watch your words, herbivore. It is none of your business what I wish to teach him."

A splotch of red was slowly rising in Mochida's face, most likely from anger, but his fear of HIbari seemed to curb his usual caustic remarks as well. "He's on my team, Hibari, and we're not breaking any school rules. What right do you have to interfere?"

Tsuna couldn't tell whether Hibari was interested (because HIbari was never impressed) or pissed off at Mochida's display of defiance but he could see where all this was heading, and as much as he had come to respect Mochida's skill in kendo, the captain was no match for Hibari.

"I- It's alright, isn't it, HIbari-san?" Tsuna said timidly and promptly found himself on the receiving end of two annoyed stares. "I- I mean I can still come to practice in the morning, and then I can m- meet up with you after school."

Hibari's studied him for a moment before turning a disdainful eye on Mochida. A muscle in the captain's jaw jumped but he stood his ground.

Finally, Hibari closed his eyes and turned away, releasing Tsuna's arm. "Three o'clock sharp, herbivore," He instructed as he left. "West rooftop. If you are late, I will bite you to death."

Tsuna breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed behind the violent teen but shrank back when he turned and found Mochida towering over him, glowering dangerously down at him.

"How many weirdoes are you gonna bring here before you're satisfied, Sawada?" The captain hissed. "And Hibari of all people? What did you do to impress him?"

"I- I didn't!" Tsuna protested.

Mochida's jaw worked. "Are you stupid? Do you even know what you've done? He's not just teaching you; he's taken you under his fucking wing!"

He jerked his head to the rest of the gym and Tsuna blinked when he found all of them gaping openly at him with no small amount of fear.

"Anyone so much as looks at you the wrong way and they'll probably have Hibari on their ass before they can even get their hands on an overseas transfer application!"

Tsuna waved his hands frantically. "I- It's not like that! H- Hiko tried to trick Hibari-san and Hibari-san was going to bite Hiko to death for it so I h- had to cut in and I just did what you taught me since I had my bokken with me. H- Hibari-san could've taken me down with no problem but he stopped after a bit a- and then he told me I- I wasn't suited for k- kendo and that he would teach me instead. I- I didn't even get a say in it!"

Tsuna had no idea what to make of the thoroughly exasperated expression on Mochida's face but at least the annoyance had faded and the captain simply shook his head instead.

"I give up," Mochida grumbled half-heartedly. "Get back to work, Sawada. Don't think I'm gonna go easy on you just because Hibari's gonna put you through hell after school."

Tsuna grimaced. Yeah, hell was probably an apt description.

* * *

"Herbivore, I thought you were faster than this," Kyouya said irritably as he tossed the brunet back again, sending him crashing into a nearby wall.

The herbivore groaned but rolled to his feet, shaking his head as he got up and slid into a ready stance again. In spite of himself, Kyouya had to admit he was just a little impressed. It had been four weeks since their sparring sessions had started and he had to give the younger teen props for coming back day after day. Kyouya had sent him home with bruises each time; anyone else would've given up ages ago.

As the brunet rushed him again, low and fast, Kyouya let a pleased smirk surface on his features when a sudden upper kick just missed his chin.

Yes, Sawada Tsunayoshi was much better suited for hand-to-hand combat. He had no idea why the herbivore insisted on sticking with kendo but as long as it was done in his own time, Kyouya could overlook the stupidity.

Another fifteen minutes and Kyouya called for a halt. The herbivore was slowing down and the prefect had no interest in sparring against him when his body couldn't take it.

"Same time tomorrow, herbivore," Kyouya ordered as he turned to leave.

"A- Ano, Hibari-san," The herbivore struggled to his feet and half-walked, half-staggered in Kyouya's direction. "W- Would you like t- to come over for d- dinner?"

Kyouya stared at him for several heartbeats, torn between wanting to bite the herbivore to death for presuming he wanted to crowd or sending him to a doctor because the teen had quite obviously taken one too many blows to the head today.

The herbivore must have caught his disbelief because he flushed deep red and scratched his head in obvious embarrassment. "I- I told Kaa-san a- about you t- training me and she w- wanted to th- thank you for t- taking care of me so she told me t- to ask you if you want to come over."

Kyouya frowned at him and turned to continue on his way again, tucking away his tonfa. "No."

He ignored the palpable disappointment from behind him and disappeared back into the school. Eating at the herbivore's house; it was a ridiculous notion.

* * *

***Ten Years in the Future***

"Kyo-san, Ryohei-san just reported in. The Bronco's still alive."

"Of course he is. It would be embarrassing if he fell at that pathetic herbivore's hands."

"Most of his Family's gone though. I hear most of the Chiavarone estates have been burned down. ...Kyo-san?"

"Pack your bags. There is one last place I wish to go before we return to Japan."

"Where are we going?"

"Italy."

* * *

***Ten Years in the Future***

"VVOOII! THIS IS NO TIME TO BE ENJOYING FILET MINGON, SHITTY BOSS! OUR WESTERN DEFENSES HAVE JUST BEEN TAKEN DOWN!"

_"Shut up, trash. If you can't handle it, die."_

"I wouldn't be having problems if Bel would just stop fooling around! And Levi is fucking useless! Why is he still alive? And the recruits on the western side are dropping like flies!"

_"Scum deserve to die. It's your own fault for hiring them."_

"VVOOIII! I RAN THEM ALL BY YOU BEFORE I HIRED THEM! DON'T BLAME IT ON-"

_*Line Disconnected*_

"...THAT SHITTY BOSS JUST DESTROYED ANOTHER EARPIECE! I'LL SKEWER HIM WHEN THIS IS OVER!"

"Squalo, honey, calm down. There's really no need to get so uptight-"

"You're not the one who has to deal with the boss _and_ the brats in Japan! I should've retired when I had the chance!"

"Now, now, you don't mean that, dear. We both know you would be bored out of your mind if you ever retired. Who would you get to kill then?"

"...Lussuria, if you don't shut it with the fucking endearments, I'll cut out your tongue and stick it where the sun doesn't shine."

"My! How-"

"VOOOIII! JUST GET BACK TO WORK!"

* * *

_**Granita di caffè con panna**_** – Iced coffee with whipped cream; popular in Italy**

**Next Chapter: I-Pin, Fon**


	7. Discoveries and the Child Assassin

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

**-If you managed to pick up the small hint in what Hibari said in the tyl part last chapter, then you know at least one of the enemies in the Future Arc:)**

**-There will be five to seven more chapters before the Kokuyo Arc starts.**

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Discoveries and the Child Assassin**

"What is _she_ doing here again?"

Hayato glowered darkly at the brunette currently cooing over Lambo. His boss was too generous. Tsuna had somehow gotten the cow to forgive the crazy girl and she had gone from hanging out with them over the weekends to joining them for breakfast on some mornings as well. Personally, Hayato wished the girl would just scram but Tsuna considered her a friend so he would have to put up with her.

Not that he didn't try getting rid of her.

"Hahi!" Haru was glaring back at him now. "Haru came to enjoy breakfast with Tsuna-kun. What are _you_ doing here?"

Hayato growled. "I'm always here. I'm Tsuna-sama's bodyguard. At least I have a reason to be here!"

"Maa, maa," Yamamoto cut in, and Hayato wanted to punch the smile off the baseball freak's face. "Let's all get along. Come on, we should help set the table."

Hayato grumbled under his breath but stalked off to get the cutlery. He didn't want to trouble Tsuna.

His irritation only grew when he reached for the plates at the same time as the kendo bastard.

"Let go," Hayato said through gritted teeth, tightening his grip on the plates.

"Why don't you," Mochida muttered back, trying to tug the plates away from Hayato.

"Kendo bastard," Hayato hissed, trying to wrestle the plates from him.

"Lapdog one," Mochida mocked, not relenting his hold.

"G- Good morning," Tsuna called from behind and Hayato automatically straightened and spun around, returning the greeting enthusiastically.

He froze when a snort sounded behind him and Mochida breezed past him, an irksome smirk on his face and the plates in his hands.

"Pipsqueak, get your tie on properly," The kendo captain barked and Hayato had to shove down the urge to strangle him right then and there.

"Don't be so disrespectful to Tsuna-sama!" Hayato snapped, storming after Mochida.

"Just because you like straggling around with your tie undone doesn't mean the rest of us do," Mochida retorted.

"Tsuna-sama hasn't even eaten breakfast yet!" Hayato seethed, ignoring the slight to himself. "He doesn't need to be dressed all properly this early in the morning! In fact, he wouldn't even need to be up yet if it weren't for your damn kendo practices."

"Still going on about that?" Mochida scowled at him. "Sawada chose to join the kendo club. I didn't force him into anything. You're way too protective, lapdog."

Just as Hayato was about to lunge at the bastard and wring his neck regardless of the consequences, his boss' hand on his arm stalled him. "Tsuna-sama!"

Tsuna gave him a small smile before tugging him into the nearest chair. "Come on, Hayato-kun. Let's sit down. Kaa-san's almost done with breakfast."

"Of course, Tsuna-sama!" Hayato said agreeably, all thoughts of the kendo bastard disappearing from his mind, at least for now. He was glad Tsuna was stuttering a lot less around them, even though he was still quiet for the most part.

And so passed another morning in the Sawada household. None of them realized that another person would be joining them before long.

* * *

_"This is surprising, Reborn. You don't usually call."_

"It's a secure line. And this is important."

_"Oh? Tell me all about it. It's not every day I get a call for help from you."_

"I don't need your help. I just want to know why you chose your youngest son as the boss candidate."

_"...Did something happen to Hiko? You've been training him too hard, haven't you?"_

"I haven't been training him hard enough. Answer my question."

_"Why do you sound so serious? I've already told you, haven't I? Hiko's stronger, more charismatic, smarter; he's the perfect candidate. My cute little Tuna-fish is too shy. He could never amount to the boss the Vongola Family needs."_

"And how would you know that? You haven't been home for almost three years."

_"Reborn, is this because you don't like teaching my son for some reason? I saw the note you sent Nono. Honestly, finding Hiko unsuitable without even giving him a chance. I expected better of-"_

Reborn hung up before he could invent the first way to kill someone over the phone. Sawada Iemitsu had a hell of a lot of nerve to expect _anything_ from him.

He didn't bother glancing behind him as he scolded lightly, "It's not polite to eavesdrop, Tsuna."

A moment's silence before the window slid open and Tsuna crawled out onto the porch, joining Reborn at the railing. Neither of them spoke for a while and Reborn absently wondered what Tsuna would say. The twins would find out sooner or later that their father was in the mafia; Reborn saw no reason to hide it from them now that both of them were involved. Personally, he would've thought it safer if Iemitsu had at least told his family that he had mafia connections, just in case an enemy Famiglia found out where they were living, but it was none of Reborn's business so he hadn't said anything when Iemitsu insisted on keeping it quiet.

"Tou-san's in the mafia?" Tsuna finally asked. It wasn't really a question and the brunet's tone of voice was more resigned than surprised.

"Yes," Reborn glanced at him. "He's part of the Vongola Famiglia; head of CEDEF, the _Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia_, or External Advisors of the Family."

"Oh," Tsuna said dully. "Well, his lies always were too outrageous to be believed."

Reborn tilted his fedora up. "Didn't he tell you he worked overseas?"

Tsuna shrugged. "Well, the first time he left was when Hiko and I were three so I don't really remember what his excuse was then. And then he came back when we were five with his boss... I'm guessing that was the Ninth?"

Reborn nodded. He had heard of that visit. Hiko had produced Dying Will flames back then while Tsuna hadn't which was another reason the Ninth had agreed to make Hiko his heir.

"Anyway, after that, Tou-san said he was a construction worker and he had to work at different sites around the world." Tsuna paused. "He sent us a postcard of the South Pole a year and a half later."

Reborn inwardly twitched. What the _hell_ would a construction worker be doing in the South Pole with penguins?

"And then he came back three years after that, stayed for a few days, and then left telling Kaa-san that he was going off to be a star."

Reborn's hand tightened around his fedora. Stupidity couldn't cover the shit Iemitsu had told his family.

"And then he came home when we were eleven. That was the last time. He left at night so we couldn't say goodbye and Kaa-san told us the next day that Tou-san had gone on an exploration expedition."

Reborn tightened his reign on his anger and turned a critical eye on Tsuna instead. The brunet's voice had been flat and unconcerned throughout the explanation.

"It doesn't bother you?" He enquired, studying the teen intently.

Tsuna shrugged half-heartedly. "You get used to it when you only get to see your dad a couple times throughout your life. I- I mean, not counting the time when he was here for the first three years of my life, he's been around for... twenty days. In total."

Reborn's gaze sharpened. He knew the Nono gave vacations and he also knew that Iemitsu almost never took them, claiming that the Family needed him, but he hadn't thought Tsuna could actually count the days the blond was at home. "No more than that?"

Tsuna shook his head. "A week when he visited with the Ninth. Five days when Hiko and I were eight. Eight days when we were eleven. That's it."

Reborn's mouth turned down. That was ridiculous. What kind of father would do that to his own family?

"I don't really mind," Tsuna continued almost wistfully. "I don't really need a father. And I've never needed Kaa-san to do much for me. I mean..."

He trailed off and Reborn nodded silently to show that he understood. Judging by how Tsuna had wanted to avoid his mother that day he had come home after fighting Hibari, the brunet was used to taking care of his own injuries. Hiko on the other hand had run straight to Nana.

"But Kaa-san," Tsuna's voice rose a notch and there was sudden ferocity in his eyes that grabbed Reborn's attention. "I- I hate Tou-san for hurting Kaa-san all the time. That's something I can't forgive him for."

Tsuna fell silent and Reborn didn't bother saying anything in return. Nothing he said here would help, but the current silence between them was almost comfortable as they each mulled over their own thoughts.

_"Is this because you don't like teaching my son for some reason?"_

Not many people would think much of this but it troubled Reborn. 'My son', not 'Hiko' or 'my youngest son'. The fool had probably said it without thought as well but that only made it worse. Hiko was the son, Tsuna was the... 'tuna-fish'.

God, that made Iemitsu sound like he had a pet for his eldest. It made Reborn want to go on a killing rampage.

"What if you had been chosen to become the next boss, Tsuna?" Reborn spoke up abruptly.

Tsuna started and stared down at him with wide eyes. "E- Eh? I don't want to become a mafia boss."

"But what if you were chosen?" Reborn persisted.

Tsuna blinked and his gaze lifted to stare idly at the night sky.

"I... still wouldn't want to be a mafia boss," Tsuna mused softly. "And I don't think I could lead a crime family into k- killing people or anything. But..."

"But?" Reborn prompted.

A sliver of orange surfaced in his eyes as Tsuna turned to look at Reborn.

"But if I were, if I had to become Vongola Decimo, I'd change it."

Reborn watched silently as the brunet straightened and the orange flooded out the brown.

"I'd change the Vongola Family. Stop the killing and work to protect instead."

Reborn pulled his fedora down. This was the answer he had been looking for.

"U- Uh, it's just a what-if though,"

Reborn glanced up again and met anxious brown eyes.

"I'm obviously not going to become anything like that," Tsuna scratched his head, shifting nervously. "I- I'm not good enough to become the boss o- of anything. A- And it's just a thought."

_It's more than that_, Reborn thought but didn't say anything out loud. This was enough for now.

* * *

Tsuna didn't say anything about his impromptu discovery to his twin. To him, it wasn't particularly important what their father did and he had no wish to deal with whatever reaction Hiko would have if he told him.

Neither did he tell their mother either. She had enough on her plate, and if she knew the extent to which her husband had lied to her, Tsuna was sure it would hit her hard, especially if she didn't find out through her husband.

At the moment though, Tsuna had finished another training session with Hibari (he was seriously going to die from a tonfa to the head or something one of these days) and was heading home. Hibari hated crowding so the first thing he had done when their spars had started had been to chase off Gokudera and Yamamoto. Normally, it wouldn't have worked, but after a few pleas on Tsuna's part and then Reborn stepping in and siding with him, the two had reluctantly backed off.

The first thing he noticed when he stepped into his house was the array of shoes lined up at the front. Tsuna had gotten used to his friends' arbitrary presence at his home that he could now identify who was here by said shoes alone – Hayato, Takeshi, Haru, and Mochida, which was a surprise because his senpai usually only came around in the mornings.

"I'm home," He called out almost automatically now. The words still felt a bit awkward but he was getting better.

His mother appeared, smiling and holding a plate of cookies. "Welcome back, Tsu-kun. Your friends are all upstairs. They're all staying for dinner tonight but here's a snack for now. Did Hibari-kun turn down the invitation again?"

Tsuna nodded, taking the plate. He doubted Hibari would accept anytime soon, and after the first time he had asked, the prefect had taken to biting him to death for a few extra minutes every time he offered ever since.

"Well, maybe next time," His mother said optimistically and headed back into the kitchen as Tsuna headed upstairs.

"Welcome back, Tsuna-sama!"

"Hey, Tsuna! You don't look as tired today. You must be getting better against Hibari."

"Hahi! Welcome back. Haru decided to come over to hang out!"

"Pipsqueak, what the hell took you so long? I had to listen to your lapdogs argue with each other."

"Oh, Tsuna-nii, are those cookies?"

Tsuna smiled a little at the exuberant greetings as he closed his bedroom door behind him. Hiko had the bigger room to fit all his sports equipment so everyone looked a bit crowded but Tsuna couldn't remember ever being happier. He had spent most of his life coming home to an empty bedroom and a mother who was always occupied with Hiko's latest success.

He placed the cookies down on the table and everyone immediately converged on them as Tsuna circled around them to put down his bag.

"Hey, Reborn-san, Leon," Tsuna greeted the tutor currently sitting on the windowsill and paused to pet the chameleon. "Where's Hiko?"

"Out with friends," Reborn said shortly before directing the conversation elsewhere. Tsuna had the feeling that the hitman didn't really like talking about his twin. "How was your spar with Hibari?"

A proud smile bloomed on his face before he could stop it. "I got in a hit today. Hibari-san looked pleased."

"Hm," Reborn nodded with approval before changing Leon into a fishing rod and hooking a cookie from the table. "You're getting better. At least you're not falling down from exhaustion anymore."

Tsuna's smile grew and then winced when Reborn smacked him over the head.

"Don't get a big head," Reborn said, munching on the cookie as if he hadn't just hit someone. "You're still far from an acceptable level."

Tsuna huffed but nodded. That was true. Hibari was still kicking his butt ninety-nine times out of a hundred.

"You stupid cow! Stop hogging all the food! Leave some for Tsuna-sama!"

Tsuna turned in time to see Hayato hold the plate out of Lambo's reach. The Bovino wriggled in vain as the bomber picked him up and dragged him away from the cookies.

"Aho-dera's so mean!" Lambo cried. "Lambo-san wants cookies!"

"Hahi! Stop harassing him. He's only had three!"

"Three's more than enough. There's only fourteen altogether."

"Lambo-san wants another one!" Lambo tried to lunge for the snacks only to trip and land on his face, promptly bursting into tears.

"Aho-dera!" The Bovino screeched and pulled out his bazooka.

Before Tsuna could blink, Reborn had used the Leon-fishing-rod to yank the bazooka away from Lambo, but unfortunately, at that exact moment, Mochida leaned forward for a better look at the weapon and the bazooka caught him on the head, swallowing him in an explosion of pink smoke.

Tsuna thought it was Hayato who summed it up best.

"Oh shit."

* * *

When Reborn had seen the bazooka being taken out, he had wanted to avoid another face-off with the future cow. He didn't particularly mind either when the bazooka hit Mochida instead... right up until the point where his nose picked up the coppery tang of blood.

"_Out_," Reborn leapt off the windowsill, his voice brooking no arguments as the smoke began to clear. "Everyone out; _now_."

Nobody argued and there was a mad scramble for the door, but the last thing Reborn saw before he slammed the door close behind Tsuna was the dawning realization mixed with growing dread on the brunet's face as the teen caught a glimpse of what the bazooka had brought back.

Reborn had no time to curse as he turned back to the body lying limply in the middle of the room. Slipping seamlessly into a hitman's mindset, he ignored the familiarity of the face and categorized each wound with cold calculation instead.

Cuts and bruises marring skin. Deep gash at the temple but that didn't seem to be the killing blow. A near-fatal sword wound to the chest a quarter of an inch left of the heart was more likely. Judging by the blood that stained the clothes, this person had bled to death before help could arrive.

Hardened calluses on the hands suggested long-time use of a sword of some type so he had probably died fighting against another swordsman. The dried blood wasn't flaking yet and the larger wounds were still wet so he had only died recently, less than twelve hours ago.

There was also the faint scent of smoke so wherever the fight had taken place had been burning or at least a fire-type weapon had been used. The body was lying at an odd angle as well, as if it had not been moved from when the man had finally fallen, so either there had been no allies to aid him or all the allies had been killed.

Drawing in a deep breath before slowly releasing it, Reborn finally drew back, mouth set in a grim line as he pulled his fedora down. His instincts told him that Mochida Kensuke hadn't just been killed in a random fight. He would put money down on the fact that the teen's future self had been involved with Vongola, or at least a mafia group.

That being said, Reborn hoped whoever had killed Mochida in the future wasn't still lurking around. The boy didn't stand a chance, and no doubt, he would be very confused.

Reborn hadn't been particularly pleased when Tsuna had semi-befriended Mochida. When Hiko had challenged Mochida in kendo during that first week Reborn had still been ignorant of the dynamics between the Sawada twins, Mochida had struck him as arrogant and chauvinistic, not someone worth knowing. He supposed that was why he was no Sky; he didn't accept other people easily, and he couldn't be bothered to take the time to understand anyone not placed under his care.

But somehow, a large part of it because of Tsuna's surprisingly powerful influence, the boy had changed. Subtle changes that no one outside of their little circle would notice, but Mochida now reminded Reborn of a much less ardent but just as foul-mouthed Gokudera instead.

His mental clock ticked down and pink smoke erupted in front of him. Reborn braced himself. He wasn't looking forward to what would happen next.

The smoke lifted and Reborn inwardly grimaced at the pale features and haunted eyes. Luckily, Mochida didn't seem like he had gotten into any particular scuffle, though his clothes smelled of the same smoke that had clung onto his future self. The teen looked around, slightly dazed and visibly shaken, before zeroing in on Reborn.

"What- What the _fuck_ was that?" Mochida rasped, staggering to his feet. "What the hell did that-" His eyes darted to the innocent-looking bazooka laying several feet away. "What the hell did that thing do to me?"

Reborn studied him from under the brim of his fedora before deciding on the truth. There was no way Mochida would believe him if he claimed it was a vision; it was far too real, and it wasn't possible for Mochida to keep hanging around Tsuna without knowing anyway.

"It's called the Ten-Year Bazooka," Reborn explained bluntly. "A weapon that switches you with your ten-year older future self for five minutes. Made by the Bovino Family."

Mochida gaped openly at him for a moment, any remaining colour leaching from his face as the teen visibly realized that Reborn wasn't joking.

"What the hell are you people?" He whispered, eyes flickering to the door before shifting back to Reborn.

"Mafia," Reborn said simply. The boy had to know. Besides, if he decided to go to the police, which actually wasn't very likely, a few bribes from the Vongola and the police would stay quiet.

Mochida took a step back, his entire body tense, and it was only made worse when the door burst open and everyone else tumbled in.

That was the last straw. The kendo captain grabbed his bag, not bothering to close it properly, before roughly shoving past them all.

"You people are fucking crazy!" He threw over his shoulder as he stormed out of the house. The echo of the front door banging shut left a hollow silence in its wake.

"...W- What happened?" Haru was the first to speak, looking wide-eyed and a little scared.

Of all of them, it seemed Tsuna and Gokudera understood the situation best. Reborn eyed the brunet's shadowed eyes and Gokudera's dark frown before sighing.

"Leave him alone for today," Reborn advised, making his way over to the bazooka. He wanted to confiscate it, maybe even destroy it, but it was Bovino property in the end and Reborn had no right to it. Instead, he turned to the cow with a hard gleam in his eyes.

"Don't pull this out again," Reborn ordered, tossing it back to a watery-eyed Lambo. He made a point of cocking his gun. "Or else."

Lambo shrank back and looked about two seconds away from crying again but Tsuna cut in, scooping the Bovino up and shooting a faint frown at Reborn. Reborn stared back flatly and the brunet dropped his gaze in a resigned manner.

"Come on, Lambo," Tsuna murmured instead. "Put that away. I think dinner's almost ready. Let's go help Kaa-san, okay?"

With a sniffle, the cow stuffed the bazooka back in his hair and settled comfortably in Tsuna's arms, ducking out of Reborn's line of sight. The rest of the teens followed Tsuna out and Reborn was left to clean up the faint smears of red left behind by the corpse.

He would have to be more careful from now on. He would rather suffer through another round of glares and sullen looks from the cow's future self than bring back another dead body.

* * *

The next three days passed quickly and Tsuna only got more worried with each passing hour. Mochida had called in sick and kendo practice had been postponed for the time being. Tsuna wasn't sure which would be worse; that Mochida had obviously been affected badly enough that he wanted to stay home, or that every time Tsuna closed his eyes, he could only see the bloody corpse in his bedroom.

Reborn hadn't said anything when he found Tsuna sleeping out in the hallway after the first night, curled up in blankets with Lambo, who hadn't complained and thought it quite fun to be sleeping amongst a flood of pillows on the floor. The tutor simply waking him up before his mother stumbled over him and refraining from commenting when he noticed Tsuna avoiding his bedroom as much as possible.

"You are not concentrating."

Hibari's cool voice sliced through his thoughts and Tsuna hunched his shoulders sheepishly, staring miserably at the floor. A long silence followed before he heard footsteps walking away and he quickly looked up.

"H- Hibari-san!" Tsuna called after the prefect, watching him nervously.

Hibari paused by the door, glancing back disdainfully. "Resolve your issue with the herbivore by the end of the week. I expect your full attention by Monday or I will bite you to death."

Tsuna gawked as the prefect disappeared from sight. Had Hibari just given him permission to take a break from their training sessions? Well, he wasn't going to complain. Reborn had told him to give Mochida some space but it had been three days and Tsuna hadn't seen him at all. He needed to know that the captain would be okay.

* * *

"Ken-chan?" Haruka knocked tentatively on her son's door. "Tsuna-kun is out front asking for you. He wants to see if you-"

"No," Kensuke's voice was harsh, much like how it used to be before the brunet currently waiting anxiously on the doorstep had appeared in her son's life. "I don't want anything to do with him. Tell him to fuck off and never show his damn face here again."

Haruka sighed. She had long since given up on trying to curb his language but she had thought it was getting better. All that time over at Tsuna's house seemed to have taken some of the curses out of his vocabulary since the younger teen had siblings.

Making her way back to the front door where Tsuna was waiting, Haruka smiled apologetically at the anxious-looking brunet.

"I'm sorry, Tsuna-kun. Ken-chan still isn't feeling very well," Her smile turned hesitant. "Perhaps you could come back tomorrow?"

She fervently hoped whatever her son was so hung up on wouldn't break the tentative friendship he had formed with Tsuna. She hadn't seen Kensuke as happy as he had been for the past few weeks in a long time.

"Of course, Haruka-san," Tsuna looked even more upset but he bowed and thanked her for her time before leaving.

Haruka sighed and quietly closed the door.

"Was that Tsunayoshi-kun?"

She jumped a little at her husband's voice but nodded as she turned to face him. "Yes, he came to ask after Ken-chan. Do you have any idea what happened?"

Sousuke frowned and shook his head. "No," He glanced down the hall that led to their son's bedroom. "But I think it's time I found out."

* * *

It had been nearly forty-five minutes since his father had forced his way into Kensuke's room and was now sitting calmly on his bed, waiting for Kensuke to speak.

Kensuke twitched subtly as he stared determinedly out the window from his desk chair. When it came to patience, his father had it in spades. The man could probably outwait the apocalypse.

He shuddered a little at that thought as the memory of his brief trip to the _future_ swept back to the forefront of his mind. God, what the hell had he been doing in that burning building? And there had been _bodies_ scattered around, cut down and broken. It wasn't that far a stretch to guess that he had been in much the same condition.

Mafia. That was about the last thing he would guess Sawada to be but the baby had been completely serious. And the baby. A fucking kid was involved in the mafia. Of course, Kensuke always knew there was something off about Reborn (what kind of child drank coffee and was capable of ordering people around and making them do as they were told?) but this was downright crazy. A bazooka that switched yourself with your future self? What kind of technology did the mafia have exactly?

"Have you..." Kensuke didn't turn to look at his old man as he forced the words out. "Have you ever heard of the Ten-Year Bazooka?"

His father's answer was swift if a slightly confused. "No. What is it?"

Kensuke ignored this. "How about the Bovino Family?"

This time, the silence was long and telling and Kensuke twisted around to look at his old man at last. His father was frowning heavily at him.

"I have," He said slowly. "It's a small mafia family in Italy."

"You know of it?" Kensuke asked dubiously.

His father eyed him closely. "I do read the newspaper, Kensuke. The mafia may stay in the shadows but even they appear in the media now and then. The Bovino have been mentioned once or twice. Very vaguely of course; nothing substantial, and I have a few contacts in the police force and other places. They keep me updated. ...Why do you ask?"

Kensuke's shoulders sagged and when the memory of the future flashed through his mind again, he finally gave in and told his father what had happened. It was near-unbelievable and he would've thought he had gone crazy if it hadn't been so real, but his dad listened with a carefully neutral face, not interrupting him until he had finished.

_He doesn't believe me_, Kensuke thought morbidly in the ensuing silence. _He's gonna check me into the nearest madhouse and-_

"So what will you do now?"

Kensuke blinked. "Huh?" He asked intelligently.

His father raised an eyebrow at him. "You seem to be involved in the mafia in this future. If Tsunayoshi-kun is indeed mafia, then perhaps cutting ties with him would be for the best."

Kensuke was more than a little surprised when the first thing that came to mind was a vehement 'no' in response.

"The future is never set in stone, Kensuke," His father rose to his feet. "What you saw is a possible future, the future you _might_have should you continue your friendship with Tsunayoshi-kun. The simplest solution is to cut all ties with him."

"...And what are the other solutions?" Kensuke couldn't help asking as his father made for the door.

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself. It isn't my future in question."

* * *

"Tsuna-sama, this isn't healthy," Hayato insisted. "You'll catch a cold if you stay out here any longer."

"He's right, Tsuna," Takeshi tilted the umbrella he was holding so that it better covered the brunet sitting with his back against the large walls surrounding the Mochida estate. The place had to be big to fit an entire dojo and a large house. "Mochida-senpai isn't going anywhere. We can come back tomorrow."

Tsuna shook his head stubbornly. He had been turned away twice more in the last two days and had finally decided to sit outside until Mochida came out. The kendo captain couldn't stay inside forever and Tsuna wasn't going to miss him just because he had gone home.

He heard a sigh above him and then almost started when Hayato dropped down next to him, legs sprawled out carelessly in front of him. A heartbeat later, Takeshi had slid down on his left, shifting the large umbrella so that it covered all three of them.

"That kendo bastard better appreciate this," Hayato growled. "Making Tsuna-sama wait out in the rain; how selfish can he be?"

"Maa, maa," Takeshi grinned cheerfully as he poked at some of the raindrops flecking the outside of the umbrella. "A little rain never hurt anyone. And this is kinda fun, isn't it? It's like we're camping out."

"Baseball freak, that's the most stupid thing you've said to date," Hayato deadpanned. "And considering the fact that all you ever do is spout stupid things, that's really saying a lot."

Tsuna opened his mouth to tell them that they didn't have to stay but, as if sensing his intention, Takeshi quickly responded to Hayato's retort, his shoulder pressing more firmly against Tsuna's. After a moment's hesitation, Hayato did the same. Neither let up on the stream of conversation as they huddled under the umbrella under the stormy sky.

And Tsuna couldn't help the contented smile that spread freely across his face.

* * *

"Mochida Kensuke, you will come out right this instant," Haruka said sharply, finally fed up with her son's sullen mood. There was only so much sulking a teenager was allowed to do and when that moping led to the current situation, enough was enough.

Kensuke knew when Haruka meant business because the door swung open a few seconds later.

"What?" He bit out irritably.

Haruka whacked him upside the head. "Don't take that tone with me, young man. I bear with your language and your bad habits but I am still your mother. Now march."

She ignored her son's spluttering as she half-guided, half-dragged him outside, not bothering to grab an umbrella as they stepped out onto a porch that overlooked the front of the house and the street beyond their property's walls.

"What the hell's going on?" Kensuke complained, shaking water out of his eyes as the rain came down in buckets. "Kaa-san, you're getting soaked!"

Haruka smiled grimly. Well, if her son still had the presence of mind to sound so disrespectful while worrying about her, then he would be fine.

"Take a look," She ordered, pointing at the gates. From this angle, even through the pouring rain, the three small figures huddled next to the entryway under one umbrella were perfectly clear.

Haruka hid a smile when Kensuke looked and then did a double-take, and she would have missed the flash of concern on his face had she not been looking for it.

"What about it?" Kensuke demanded once he had his expression back under control. "It's none of my concern if they want to freeze their balls off out there."

Haruka raised an elegant eyebrow. "Oh really? Well then," She turned on her heel and strode back inside. "I don't suppose it is any of my concern if I leave _you_ out here as well."

And with that said, she shut the porch door and locked it in one brisk movement, ignoring the stunned look Kensuke was now wearing.

If her son was too proud to pull his head out of his – pardon her language – stubborn ass, then Haruka would make him do it.

* * *

Tsuna, along with Hayato and Takeshi, all looked up when the muffled sound of the gates opening reached their ears. Seconds later, a completely soaked and equally pissed off Mochida stalked out, crossing his arms and towering over them as he glared from behind wet bangs.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He hissed.

Tsuna scrambled to his feet, ducking out from under the umbrella and instantly getting drenched from head to toe.

"I- I just wanted to know if you were alright," He stammered.

Mochida opened his mouth, no doubt to yell at him some more, and Tsuna felt more than saw Hayato gearing up for a fight.

But instead, the kendo captain blurted out, looking just a little bit lost, "Are you _all_ mafia?"

Tsuna blinked and Hayato made a noise of disbelief behind him while Takeshi laughed.

"Oh, senpai, do you want to play the mafia game with us too?"

Tsuna had to force himself not to groan out loud as Hayato muttered something scathing in Italian.

"What?!" Mochida stared incredulously at Takeshi. "The mafia's re-"

"It- It's not like that, senpai," Tsuna hastily cut in. "W- We're not actually in the mafia. Well, Hayato-kun is but..." He trailed off helplessly and then sneezed violently as a shiver wracked his body. He really should have brought an extra jacket.

"God, why am I stuck with such idiots?" Mochida snapped and then promptly grabbed his arm and hauled him towards the gates. "This means nothing, you hear? I just want an explanation and I don't want to listen to it in this fucking downpour."

"Let go of Tsuna-sama!" Hayato ranted expectedly as he and Takeshi followed, still smiling good-naturedly.

"What changed your mind anyway, senpai?" Takeshi asked curiously. "It would've been easier to come out when it was sunny earlier."

Mochida twitched. "My mom kicked me out," He snarled, shoving Tsuna under the porch roof of the dojo. "Now talk."

And Tsuna did, explaining about the Vongola and Hiko and Reborn, much like how Hayato had done with Takeshi. Except Mochida soaked in every word and believed them to be real while Takeshi had taken it to be a game. Tsuna wasn't sure which was better.

"So will you play with us?" Takeshi persisted with an easy smile even in the face of Mochida's disgusted look of disbelief. "It'll be fun. We can be a Family too, can't we? We'll be fighting separately from Hiko though."

Mochida just stared for a moment longer before snorting derisively. "You are so many levels fucked up, Yamamoto. And no," He added with a sneer. "I don't want to play your... mafia game with you. Do I look like I'm fucking suicidal?"

Tsuna was torn between relief and disappointment at hearing this. On one hand, it meant Mochida would be relatively safer than he would have been had he decided to 'play mafia' as well. On the other hand, Tsuna had resigned himself to the fact that the mafia was going to be part of his life from now on. It wasn't possible for anyone to be near him and not get involved, which meant Mochida wouldn't want anything to do with them anymore.

Tsuna couldn't blame him. It wasn't even his own dead body and he shuddered every time that particular memory surfaced.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled, mentally cringing as Mochida's glare instantly slid over to him. "It- It would've been better if we had told you first."

"Damn straight," Mochida snapped, ignoring the bristling Hayato sitting behind Tsuna.

Tsuna nodded wearily. "I- I suppose you want me to quit kendo?" He offered, still blinking water out of his eyes as he pushed himself to his feet. "Y- You'll come back to school then, right?"

There was silence from the kendo captain and Tsuna took it for an affirmative. Shoulders hunched, he stepped back out in the rain, barely noticing when Takeshi opened his umbrella over him and Hayato started muttering obscenities under his breath. Distantly, he had a feeling the bomber would've picked a fight with Mochida had Tsuna not been there.

Two quick footsteps behind him and a sudden slap over the head made Tsuna yelp and spin around again. Still coming down in buckets, the rain made the scowl on Mochida's face even worse.

"You damn bastard!" Hayato hollered above the torrent. "He already said he'd leave you alone! Don't-"

"Shut up!" Mochida shot back, cutting the bomber off before returning his gaze to Tsuna.

"I don't wanna die," He said bluntly and Tsuna flinched. "And as much as it pains me to say this, I don't particularly want to see you die either. Like I said; I'm not suicidal, so the only option I see here that won't fuck us all over anytime in the near future is to get strong enough so that that won't happen." His sneer grew more pronounced. "Quitting kendo ain't gonna help, pipsqueak, and didn't I tell you I wouldn't let you quit until you could kick half the club's asses? I'm a lot of things, but a liar ain't one of them. Understand?"

Tsuna gaped at him and Hayato had fallen into a stunned silence, so in the end, it was Takeshi who answered first.

"Looks like you're playing the mafia game with us after all!" The baseball player grinned happily as he glanced at Tsuna. "That's one more for our Family, right Tsuna?"

Tsuna nodded dumbly, not really thinking the action through at the moment.

"I ain't playing, freak!" Mochida barked. "I'm doing this for my own survival here. I doubt the fucking mafia's gonna leave me alone even if I stop hanging out with you idiots now."

Takeshi laughed. "I always knew you were a softie inside."

This only served to incense Mochida who lunged at Takeshi before Tsuna could stop him, and Hayato looked torn between breaking up the fight for Tsuna and cheering Mochida on.

Tsuna just sighed and watched them with a troubled frown. He wondered if it made him a bad person to feel so ridiculously happy now that Mochida had, more or less, agreed to stick with them.

* * *

"I'm probably gonna grow up with connections to the mafia," Kensuke said as soon as his father walked into the house. His mother had finally let him back into the house after the rain had let up and his three totally-not-friends had left.

His father blinked at him, unperturbed. "That is the path you have chosen then?"

Kensuke shrugged carelessly, rubbing a towel through his hair. "Well, at least it won't be fucking boring."

When his father only nodded and retrieved a glass of water from the sink, Kensuke huffed. "What? Not gonna complain that your son is gonna become a criminal?"

His father paused, glass halfway to his mouth as the man's eyes carefully assessed him.

"I run a dojo, Kensuke," His father said at last. "I teach people how to defend themselves, how to fight. What they do with that skill is up to them. Whether to protect or to kill or to do nothing at all is entirely their decision."

Kensuke stared wide-eyed as his father shrugged. "Some have moved on to become policemen, others have become normal citizens who can fight but have no desire to. And still others have joined the local yakuza."

"The yakuza?" Kensuke spluttered. "And this doesn't bother you?"

His father tilted his head in a thoughtful manner. "Not all yakuza are completely bad, Kensuke. Those who I still have contact with are fairly respectful compared to others."

"...Wait, whenever you say you have 'contacts in other places', you mean yakuza?" Kensuke enquired dubiously.

His father nodded, unconcerned. "They are usually the best source of information when it comes to anything underground."

Kensuke couldn't find anything to say to this and his father gave him a faint smile as he placed the glass in the sink before heading for the door again. As he passed Kensuke, he man ruffled his hair in an uncharacteristically affectionate gesture before withdrawing again.

"What you do with your life is up to you, Kensuke. Just make it worth your while. Eventually, when you die, be able to look back and have no regrets. That's the kind of life I want you to live."

Kensuke said nothing as he watched his father leave. He leaned back in his chair once he was alone, hands drifting down to settle on his lap as he let the towel rest on his head, momentarily blocking out the rest of the world.

The memory of the future flashed in his mind again, and instead of shoving it down per usual, he let his thoughts drift to what he had found right before the bazooka had sent him back, something he hadn't even told his father.

The five minutes had seemed much longer and he had still had the presence of mind to look around for anything that might help in that burning building. He had found a bag next to a bloodied sword – the same sword that currently hung in his father's study – and had rifled through it. He had found medical supplies, a shattered phone, a few daggers, and a missive, crumpled in a way that suggested it had been folded and unfolded, read and reread dozens of times.

_Sawada Tsunayoshi's death has been confirmed. All allies are to disappear underground and await further orders._

Kensuke had first frozen and then been physically sick as the words had sunk in. Everything had been too damn real for him to believe it was all a sick joke, and now he had a confirmation.

It rankled him that a pipsqueak like Sawada had managed to worm his way under his skin in the end but he supposed he couldn't complain. Life had certainly become a lot less monotonous than before and he found that he no longer had to think of something to do after school. Sometimes, he would watch Sawada's sparring sessions with Hibari from afar – with-a-pair-of-binoculars afar because Hibari was not someone he wanted to cross weapons with just yet – or if he was in a tolerant mood and the time was right, he would go and watch one of Yamamoto's baseball games, or, when he experienced temporary insanity, he would bicker with Gokudera until Sawada and Yamamoto were done with their extracurricular activities, and then they would all head over to Sawada's house or his house or Yamamoto's house for sushi. Usually Yamamoto's house because there was only so much madness he could stand when he was at Sawada's and he didn't want their stupidity to contaminate his own place.

But he never had to _come up_ with something to do anymore.

He couldn't bring himself to tell them about the missive. No doubt, Gokudera would flip and Yamamoto would get that freakishly scary look on his face whenever Sawada's damn twin started spouting shit within their vicinity and Sawada himself...

Well, he wasn't really sure what Sawada would do but it would probably irritate him and he had enough of that during kendo practice.

So Kensuke would stick with the so-called 'mafia game'. He hadn't lied when he said he wouldn't play; this wasn't a game to him. He'd train like hell and whoever had managed to kill him in the future wouldn't find it so easy this time around.

And whoever had killed Sawada would have another thing coming when he got his hands on them.

* * *

Tsuna blinked when he stepped gingerly into his room. Even after the body had disappeared and Reborn had gotten rid of the bloodstains, his senses had always picked up the invisible remains of what the corpse had left behind and he had avoided this room like the plague.

None of the usual alarm bells rang though and he looked around with open bewilderment. His room certainly still looked the same.

"I replaced the carpet."

Tsuna jumped at Reborn's voice and wheeled around to find the hitman strolling into the room. The tutor somehow gave him a stern look without ever actually shifting his features as he jumped up onto the desk.

"I replaced it," Reborn repeated. "So I expect you to stop sleeping in the hallway from now on. If you let a little blood get to you, what are you going to do if something worse happens?"

Tsuna stared for a moment before setting his bag down and dropping onto his bed for the first time in five days.

"It's not the blood that gets to me," He explained quietly, his voice taking on a distant tone as his thoughts turned inward. "I'm used to cleaning up after myself after a run-in with bullies. It's just- That was Mochida-senpai, wasn't it?"

Tsuna glanced over at Reborn and tried to decipher the unreadable look on the hitman's face. He couldn't though, and it was a long while before Reborn spoke again.

"What are you training for, Tsuna?"

The question took Tsuna by surprise but the answer came swift and sure. "To protect my friends."

Reborn nodded once, sharply. "Then you'll be fine," He said cryptically, leaping onto the windowsill.

"W- Wait!" Tsuna shook his head in confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"

A smirk was sent in his direction. "Figure it out yourself. You can't expect me to tell you everything."

Tsuna scowled petulantly after the hitman as he disappeared out the window. Reborn was always infuriating like that.

* * *

Reborn couldn't help the satisfied smirk that spread over his features as the five-year-old assassin managed to throw Hiko back with her Gyoza-Ken.

"You seem rather happy considering it is your student I-Pin has just taken down."

Reborn glanced to his left, unsurprised to find his fellow Arcobaleno standing there. "Hello, Fon. I thought she might be your student."

The martial artist nodded serenely. "Yes, I-Pin is a good apprentice. She works very hard." He turned an enquiring look on Reborn. "And you? You do not seem pleased with your student."

Reborn tilted his fedora down. Fon had always had the irritating ability to read him if Reborn didn't have his guard up completely.

"Hiko is progressing," Reborn allowed. "He is getting stronger."

Fon looked thoughtfully from Reborn to the scene below them. "But you are not happy with other aspects," He deduced, ignoring the glare Reborn shot him. "He must be a stubborn one if he has frustrated even you."

Reborn tightened his grip on his fedora but refused to say anything else. 'Stubborn' wasn't exactly how he would describe Hiko but Fon didn't need to know anything else.

"Well," Fon smiled pleasantly as he met Reborn's gaze again. "I'm not actually supposed to be here and I-Pin might be hurt if she thought I shadowed her on her job so I'll leave you to clear things up with our students, if you don't mind."

Reborn nodded, giving the Storm Arcobaleno a cursory look. "Why are you here then?"

"I finished my own job early and decided to come meet I-Pin when she was done," Fon's eyes flickered around the layout of the school. "Not to mention I thought I would drop by and see how my nephew is doing, but he wasn't at home."

At this, Reborn smirked again, getting to his feet as I-Pin advanced on his idiot student. "Try the west roof. You might find something interesting."

With that said, Reborn leapt off the metal fence and headed over to Hiko and Fon's apprentice. He wondered if Gyoza might clear some of the stupidity in HIko's head.

* * *

It didn't take long for Fon to make his way over to the west rooftop as Reborn had suggested. Hopping up onto the metal fence that surrounded the roof, Fon blinked in surprise at the scene that met his eyes.

His nephew was fighting – which wasn't surprising – against a smaller student who looked exactly like the one he had been watching a moment ago.

Not exactly, he decided after a closer look. So this must be the brother. He had known that Reborn was training the next Vongola heir and that said heir had a brother but he hadn't known it was a twin.

Fon's first thought was that the brunet must have broken school rules and his nephew was teaching the boy a lesson. It took him a few seconds to pick up the way Kyouya was adjusting an elbow here and a kick there. It took him even longer to realize and process the fact that his antisocial nephew had seemingly taken on a student.

Reborn certainly hadn't been joking when he said that Fon would find something interesting.

Fon hadn't bothered masking his presence so when a tonfa came hurtling in his direction, he easily sidestepped the weapon, sighing as he reached out to snag it as it came flying by. Honestly, his nephew was far too violent sometimes.

"Hello, Kyouya," Fon greeted, jumping down onto the ground and extending the tonfa as a peace offering. "It has been a while. I'm glad to see you are doing well."

His nephew stared down at him with narrowed eyes. Kyouya had made it clear that he didn't like anyone knowing that they were related but Fon knew that if his nephew was completely adverse to it with the smaller teen around, the fifteen-year-old wouldn't have brought attention to Fon like he had.

Which only served to make Fon all the more curious about the timid-looking brunet currently staring between the two of them.

Fully turning to face the boy, Fon took in the softer tone of brown that made up the teen's eyes. He had always believed that eyes could tell quite a bit about a person – whether they were honest, whether they were kind, whether they were trustworthy – and while this boy looked nervous, there was a subtle strength in his gaze that caught Fon's attention.

"What are you doing here?" Kyouya interrupted his thoughts, and Fon didn't miss the slight – very slight – shift to the right that cut the smaller teen off from Fon's direct line of sight.

Fon smothered a smile, a little amazed and a little shocked at the same time.

"I came to meet up with my student," Fon replied evenly. "And I thought I would stop by your school as well since it was on my way."

He didn't mention anything about his work; it was the reason Kyouya disliked their relation being known. Not the fact that Fon sometimes had to kill on his jobs, but the fact that most of the Chinese Triads' ideals opposed Kyouya's. Fon sometimes disagreed as well but they were his employers so he had no room to complain.

"And who's this?" Fon continued, turning a friendly smile on the brunet. He watched the teen stiffen even further but some of the wariness left his features as he studied Fon.

Kyouya didn't bother glancing at the teen. Instead, without taking his eyes off Fon, he ordered curtly, "Herbivore, lesson's over for the day. Go home. Do not loiter on school grounds or I will bite you to death."

The brunet stalled for a few seconds, still observing them, but nodded slowly after a while. He dipped his head politely in Fon's direction and his fingers brushed the flapping sleeve of Kyouya's coat as he passed as if saying a silent farewell before grabbing his bag and disappearing from the roof. The boy never said a word.

"Was that really necessary, Kyouya?" Fon sighed, undaunted by the silver glare aimed at him.

"What are you here for?" His nephew demanded shortly, ignoring Fon's question.

The martial artist tilted his head. Kyouya had never taken any interest in his line of work, preferring not to have anything to do with it.

"It is not for work, Kyouya," Fon assured. "My student is here and I am planning to meet up with her after she is done."

His nephew glared even harder. "You have taken an interest in that herbivore," He said coolly, obviously not believing him. "He is a student of Namimori. I will not allow even the Chinese Triads to touch him."

Fon was hard-pressed to hide his surprise but he took a few seconds to closer observe his nephew. The only reason Kyouya would think that someone had sent Fon to assassinate the brunet would be because his nephew already knew who the smaller teen was, or, more specifically, who he was related to.

"He is not my target, Kyouya," Fon said at last, keeping his voice open and honest. "I am not here for a job."

His nephew eyed him for a moment longer before tucking his tonfa away with a dismissive grunt and stalking for the door.

"Does this mean I am allowed to meet your student?" Fon called, partly-teasing but partly-serious as well.

No answer. Fon would take that as a yes.

* * *

I-Pin shuffled down the sidewalk, head bowed. Her Master would be so disappointed with her if he knew she had not only failed to assassinate her target but that she had harmed an innocent as well. Not very much though; she didn't think the person would even have bruises, but he was very angry anyway. She supposed it was lucky that her Master's friend, Reborn, had been there to stop her.

She stumbled and fell back when she bumped into someone in front of her. Peering up through the large glasses Reborn had let her keep, she shrank back when she found the person she had mistaken for her target staring down at her.

"I-Pin sorry!" She babbled, bowing from where she had fallen. "I-Pin didn't see you!"

She chanced a glance up and was taken aback to find a soft smile aimed back at her. The teenager nodded, stooping down and extending a hand in her direction.

I-Pin stared warily at the boy. She couldn't sense the earlier hostility and this person felt different. Were the glasses not working?

"I'm sorry too," The person offered. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

The teenager talked differently too; much kinder than before. I-Pin hesitated and then tentatively grabbed the hand still being held out to her. The person helped her up, gently setting her on her feet but remained crouching.

"Are you lost?" The person – I-Pin was almost certain he wasn't the same one as before – asked. "Do you need any help?"

I-Pin looked around helplessly. She was sure her target had already moved on or wasn't even in this area and her Master wasn't coming to meet her until next week.

"I-Pin."

I-Pin jumped at the familiar voice and she spun around, brightening despite her failure at the sight of her Master.

"Master!" She greeted happily as he landed in front of her. A frown quickly made its way onto her face. "I-Pin sorry. I-Pin failed her mission."

Fon just smiled. "It's alright, I-Pin. Perhaps you can take a short break and hone your skills some more."

I-Pin nodded at once. She liked training more than carrying out missions and her Master wasn't mad at her, which was even better.

Fon patted her on the shoulder before glancing up and I-Pin tensed when she remembered who was behind her. Odd. The person she had accidentally attacked on the roof had made her put her guard up until she had been absolutely she was no longer in his vicinity.

"Hello again," Her Master greeted and I-Pin looked up as well. The teenager looked much more guarded now and he was focusing on Fon. Was he afraid of her Master?

"We didn't get to any introductions earlier," Her Master continued. "I'm Fon, and this is my student I-Pin. May I ask for your name?"

I-Pin looked between them. Her Master had said 'again' and 'earlier'. This definitely wasn't the person she had met, but then why did they look so alike? Maybe... brothers?

But the teenager remained silent, staring cautiously at her Master. I-Pin didn't understand but Fon seemed to.

"Are you worried for Kyouya? I'm sorry; my nephew and I do not often see eye-to-eye on certain things. He doesn't like to let people know we're related either."

I-Pin blinked. Her Master had mentioned a nephew in Japan once or twice but he tended to keep it quiet. In front of them though, the person nodded slowly, surprised, but some of the wariness leaked away.

"T- Tsuna," He mumbled, rocking back on his heels. "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna. I- It's nice to meet you."

Unlike many, his gaze covered both of them instead of deferring to her Master. While I-Pin didn't mind at all, she perked up at the fact that this person – Tsuna – didn't dismiss her right away.

Her Master smiled gently. "Likewise, Tsuna-kun. Thank you for taking care of my nephew."

Tsuna started, and then flushed red. "N- No, Hibari-san is the one who has been taking care of me. H- He's been teaching me how to fight."

Fon just shook his head but said no more. I-Pin thought her Master looked rather pleased.

"Tsuna-nii!"

They all turned in the direction of the voice and I-Pin blinked at the boy running towards them. He seemed to be her age but his attention was completely focused on Tsuna.

Tsuna rose and caught the boy when he leapt forward into Tsuna's arms.

"Hi, Lambo," In I-Pin's opinion, Tsuna's smile was much warmer than his brother's. "How was your day?"

The boy grinned widely. "Mamma took Lambo-san out for ice-cream today. We did the shopping and Lambo-san helped carry the bags."

Tsuna ruffled the boy's hair. "Did you? Wasn't it heavy?"

The boy puffed up, looking proud. "Of course not. Lambo-san is strong!"

Tsuna smiled again and then they both looked up as a voice cut in.

"You stupid cow, what did I say about running ahead? If you get lost, Tsuna-sama will have to waste time looking for you!"

"Haha, it's alright. He's a kid, Gokudera."

I-Pin's eyes widened as two more teenagers walked up, one of them greeting Tsuna with a respectful nod and the other throwing an arm around him.

"Oh, are these your friends, Tsuna?" The black-haired one asked, peering down at them.

Tsuna looked uncertain but gestured at I-Pin and her Master. "This is I-Pin and Fon-san. They're... visiting?" He glanced at them questioningly.

"We are," Fon confirmed. "We will be staying for awhile."

Tsuna nodded and motioned at the three newcomers. "This is Lambo. He's staying at my house at the moment. And this is Gokudera Hayato and Yamamoto Takeshi, my friends."

I-Pin wasn't sure what to make of the thrilled pride that flickered briefly through Tsuna's eyes as he introduced them.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Her Master returned, and I-Pin bowed beside him. "I hear you're living with an old friend of mine as well. Reborn?"

Tsuna blinked, and then broke out into another smile, soft and subtly fond. "Yes. He's staying as my brother's home tutor."

I-Pin picked up the instant dislike that spiked amongst the group, particularly from Tsuna's two friends. She found herself silently agreeing, even if it was her fault for mistaking her target.

"Would you like to come over for a bit?" Tsuna was asking, and I-Pin looked over at her Master eagerly. She thought she might like to know this person who seemed the complete opposite of his twin.

Her Master looked briefly at her, amused, but inclined his head in affirmation. "If you don't mind, we would gladly accept."

And that was how I-Pin found herself in a game of tag with Lambo forty minutes later, dashing around Tsuna's house after the cackling boy. She had her training but Lambo seemed quite adept at evading her so they were evenly matched.

There had been a moment when I-Pin had first arrived and the teenager she had mistaken for her target – Hiko – greeted them with an ugly sneer. But any harsh words were lost between Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, and the pretty lady – Bianchi – who had opened the door for them, and Hiko ended up storming out of the house.

She also met Tsuna's mother and I-Pin quickly got used to calling her Mamma like Lambo after the woman insisted several times. Her Master also seemed content upon seeing Reborn and the two were currently sitting on the back of the couch talking quietly.

Another thirty minutes later and they were all eating dinner, and I-Pin could barely contain her glee at sharing a meal with so many people. She nodded shyly when, beside her, Tsuna asked softly if she wanted more rice. Her mission had been tiring and she hadn't eaten since breakfast.

I-Pin watched Tsuna move to the rice cooker. She was a little jealous of Lambo because Tsuna obviously considered the boy a younger brother. She had always been an only child and she barely remembered her parents. But Tsuna was kind to her too. Lambo had asked him to join in their game of tag earlier and he had chased them around the house without complaint, even though she knew older people didn't like playing with children all the time.

"Here you go, I-Pin," Tsuna placed the bowl in front of her, accompanied with a faint smile. I-Pin really liked Tsuna's smiles. They were a lot like her Master's, not as many but just as kind.

"Xiexie," She chirped. Tsuna had also picked up the simpler Chinese words and didn't have too much problem understanding thank-yous and other simple words even if he couldn't speak it.

"You don't have anywhere to stay?" Mamma was looking worried when Reborn mentioned that neither she nor her Master were staying anywhere at the moment. "Well, that's easy. This house is certainly big enough for two more of Reborn's friends."

"Oh no," Her Master interjected politely. "We couldn't possibly impose."

Mamma smile cheerfully at both of them. "Nonsense. The more the merrier. Although you will have to share the rooms."

Her Master still looked hesitant but I-Pin couldn't help looking over at Tsuna. She tinged pink and hastily looked away when Tsuna caught her glance.

"Tail-head will sleep with Lambo-san and Tsuna-nii, of course!" Lambo suddenly announced. "Right, Tsuna-nii?"

Tsuna blinked and I-Pin braced herself for an objection.

"Ah, well, I don't mind, but wouldn't it be better if she slept in Bianchi-san's room? She's a girl, after all."

There was a startled silence and then Gokudera leaned forward and eyed I-Pin critically. "Tsuna-sama, she's a girl?"

I-Pin blushed, trying to contain her embarrassment before her ability activated. She jumped when a gentle hand landed on her head and she heard Tsuna say sternly, "Hayato-kun, that's mean."

Gokudera pulled back, looking mortified, and quickly apologized to her. I-Pin beamed and felt herself calm down again.

Deciding that Tsuna was telling the truth when he had said he didn't mind, she piped up, "I-Pin doesn't mind either. I-Pin would like to stay with Tsuna-san."

Tsuna blinked down at her, surprised again, but he smiled a second later and I-Pin relaxed. It was okay.

"Tsuna, you'll have to put up Fon as well," Reborn ordered – I-Pin noticed Reborn always ordered but everyone seemed okay with it.

Her Master looked ready to protest again but between Tsuna's acquiescing nod and I-Pin's own hopeful look, he subsided without protest, though he did send a reproachful look in Reborn's direction.

I-Pin recalled the times her Master had taken her on some of his easy missions and along the way, they would train and eat and camp out under the stars. She had loved those times when her Master hadn't been as busy so she was more than delighted that he had some time to spare for now.

"It's decided then," Mamma clapped her hands. "Tsu-kun, could you run out and get a few more hammocks after dinner?"

Tsuna nodded as Gokudera and Yamamoto clamored their agreement to go as well, and as everyone settled back into their meals again, laughing and arguing and chatting, I-Pin thought she was beginning to understand what family meant.

* * *

"So? What do you think?"

Fon glanced over at the fedora-wearing hitman as he leapt up on the balcony railing with him. From there, they could see directly into Tsuna's room. Fon had to quirk a smile at the sight of the two children nestled on either side of the brunet he had met today.

"He has a very gentle soul," Fon tilted his head back for a moment, nostalgia briefly curling around his heart. "He reminds me of Luce."

Reborn didn't respond and Fon didn't expect him to. Instead, he remarked, "Did you know Tsuna-kun tells a bedtime story every night? He's a good storyteller; I-Pin was enthralled, and even I enjoyed it, though he seemed quite embarrassed at the beginning when I said I wanted to listen too."

"Hmph," Fon caught a ghost of a smile gracing Reborn's features before it slipped away. "Tsuna's easily embarrassed. He didn't used to talk either. He's gotten a lot better."

"Oh?" Fon turned his head to look at the hitman. "He didn't often talk before?"

Reborn shook his head. "He didn't talk, period. Didn't even make a sound when I tried scaring something out of him. But like I said; he's gotten a lot better."

Fon frowned, recalling the way the brunet had clammed up in front of him until he had brought Kyouya into the equation.

"Reborn," Fon hesitated briefly but forged on, his apprehension taking over as he remembered the dangerous anger and resentment he had seen in the younger twin. "Why is Tsuna-kun not your student?"

The silence that followed was terrible and fraught with tension but Fon waited it out patiently. Either Reborn would answer or he wouldn't and Fon would respect either decision.

"Because Nono's CEDEF leader's a goddamned idiot," Reborn finally said, startling Fon when a flash of weariness flickered across his face. The hitman must have tried every last trick in the book and then some with Takehiko if he felt this defeated. Fon had never known Reborn to fail in anything; this was a first.

"How long are you staying?" Reborn enquired abruptly, obviously no longer interested in continuing that line of conversation.

Fon relented graciously. "I am unsure, but at least for a few weeks more. I wish to observe Tsuna-kun's practices with my nephew."

Reborn smirked at this, much as he had before he had sent Fon off to the west rooftop. "Piqued your curiosity then?"

Fon chuckled. "In all the time I have known that boy, Kyouya has never taken particular interest in anything, not even that committee he leads. I want to see... just how wide a Sky Sawada Tsunayoshi can be."

His gaze slid back to the hitman when Reborn's smirk took on a satisfied edge. "I know that look. You are planning something, my friend."

Reborn didn't bother answering, hopping off the railing and heading back to Takehiko's room instead.

Fon watched him go, thoughtful and curious at the same time. He had a feeling something big would happen in the near future. Good or bad; only time would tell.

* * *

Hiko listened to the two babies sitting on the balcony. He had learned to regulate his breathing and as long as he stayed quite a ways away and strained his ears, he could pick out some of what was being said.

Inside, he seethed when the newcomer, Fon, questioned Reborn on his choice of student. Why did everyone pick Dame-Tsuna over him recently? Oh, his friends at school still remained the same and almost everyone continued to scorn his brother, but the select few that had sided with his twin made Dame-Tsuna so damn _happy_. What was the big deal anyway? They were just a few people but Dame-Tsuna looked like someone had given him the world on a silver platter.

And it wasn't just that Dame-Tsuna had gained a few friends. It was that everyone around his twin looked thrilled to be there, even that kendo captain who tried to insult his brother every other breath. His brother was pathetic yet even those two annoying children decided he was the best thing since sliced bread.

Hiko also hated that Hibari Kyouya had taken an interest in Dame-Tsuna as well. He was stronger than his twin yet the strongest student in Namimori had chosen his brother over him. It was unforgiveable.

Hiko would make Dame-Tsuna pay. After some of his humiliation from the defeat had dissipated, he had done some thinking. He would have to get stronger, and while Reborn hated him and vice-versa, the hitman was contractually obliged to tutor him and his chosen Family members.

So Hiko would get stronger. And when he had Vongola's power in his hands, he would make Dame-Tsuna wish he had never gone against Hiko.

* * *

***Ten Years in the Future***

"We've lost all contact with Kensuke's squad."

"Fuck, just what we need. I _told_ him not to go after that sword bastard alone!"

"What should we do?"

"...Send a small patrol to look for them. Not much we can do other than that. Let's just hope they're still alive."

"Got it. Any news from Ryohei and Chrome yet?"

"None. If they don't report in by tomorrow, send my sister and Lancia to check it out. Surveillance only."

"Alright. By the way, Tetsuya-san just called in. Said he and Kyouya are headed to Italy first."

"Che. That bastard always does what he wants."

"Maa, maa, he is our Cloud after all. Tsuna was the only one who could control him to some degree."

"...Whatever. Get going, sword freak. I still have paperwork to finish."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Sasagawa Ryohei, Sasagawa Kyoko**


End file.
